tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16700685325972577552024-03-19T02:34:08.170-05:00INDIE LOCALE: THOUGHTS ON MUSIC, BOOKS, LIFE, AND TRAVELChris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-72064259318468188942011-11-10T09:05:00.003-06:002011-11-10T09:48:26.480-06:00Preston Lovinggood Interview<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>CKD</b>: So talk about about what you’ve been doing for the last year and a half or so since Wild Sweet Orange broke up.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>PL</b>: Wild Sweet Orange broke and I didn’t really know what to do. It was very similar to a breakup of a relationship. It’s like if you broke up with your girlfriend. You love her, you respect her, but it just doesn’t work for whatever reason. It takes a lot to get over, especially if you envisioned it a certain way for so many years. Still a lot of soul searching and I felt like giving up on it. It’s just sort of been a lonely place until I started getting support constantly from Jeffery Cain, the guy who owns Communicating Vessels, and constantly getting support from so many people. I just wasn’t able to hear it until my Darrel Thorp, who’s the producer, asked me to come out to LA and bring 3 songs. So I brought three songs out there in May, flew out Mother’s Day May 8th, and I brought three songs that I had sort of finished and through that came a burst of creativity and a burst of serenity, a burst of self-confidence. It’s been definitely an adventure. A lot of highs and lows, but we’re about to be finished with the record and I’m super excited about it. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>CKD</b>: Could you talk about the record? What kind of plans you have for it? Maybe a tentative title?</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>PL</b>: Well, we have a working title, but I don’t know if I can share that just yet. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>CKD</b>: That’s understandable. I know you said it might not be out until February or March. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>PL</b>: Not until February and I sort of have a title right now, but who knows. It could change. THe theme is really letting go. There is a theme of if you hold on too tight to something, you’re gonna lose control. There is a theme of self-acceptance. Really the theme is letting go and not obsessing over the tiny, little seeds you’re trying to plant. Just trusting that the things you want to happen will happen. That was something I wanted to discover in my own life and through the creative process. I used to be very obsessive and it was getting worse and worse and I wasn’t able to finish songs. Towards the end of the record, when I went out to LA, I didn’t even know what songs I was gonna record until 15 minutes before the session. That kind of take on it was extremely new to me and I was able to have a new type of creative inspiration to finish the whole thing. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>CKD</b>: What are some of the albums and artists that have influenced you the lately? I remembered the last time we spoke, it was Paul Simon and Neil Diamond. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>PL</b>: I would say now it’s a lot of artists, but more so certain songs. I get sort of obsessed with certain songs from certain artists. Some of those songs right now would be the first track from the newest U2 album <i>No Line on the Horizon</i>. There’s that song from <i>Transformers</i> soundtrack, that Linkin Park song “Iridescent”. Also the <i>Spiderman: Broadway </i>song, “Rise Above,” has been really influential to me as of the past two weeks.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>CKD</b>: I remember saying you wanted to write almost pop songs because you wanted to write songs that people could remember. Do you still feel that way?</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>PL</b>: I think in that phase, I was still in that mindset of trying to please others, which comes from being signed to a major label. I think I was so much a part of that cult and so I didn’t realize...it’s a good part of me. I just really like pop songs. I grew up in a Southern Baptist home and grew up around really poppy good music, like Sandi Patti, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, all those artists are extremely good artists to me. It’s hard to escape what you’ve heard from a young age, good and bad. So I’m really just trying to recreate that. I just love those songs and I just love good songs. I’ve never thought about doing anything different than what comes out when I sit down with a guitar. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>CKD</b>: Could you talk about <i>The Moviegoer </i>and how Walker Percy has served as an inspiration for you?</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>PL</b>: That’s really funny. When the band did break up and we weren’t working anymore, I did discover that book and that writer. Honestly, that’s the whole reason I kept writing and I keep trying to write as good as that to me. As someone who’s Southern, as someone who’s Catholic, as someone’s who definitely is looking for the deeper meaning behind things, Walker Percy just came to me and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I think about him every day. It was sort of an obsession at first, but now it’s sort of a comforting, encouraging presence. It was more of a friend and a hobby. I was sort of an enthusiast at the time. It was something that strangely kept me connected to everything around me. It happens every now and then, even if I pick up one of his books, I find that whatever I read about, I’ll overhear somebody talking about or I see something that’s so connected to whatever’s happening in that story. I just feel like the spiritual journey that he was on, all this talk of how man is a pilgrim on earth, is something I really needed to hear and help me connect some of the dots from my past. His take on the whole Southern, Christian gothic experience is just ridiculous. I can’t forget about it. It meant so much to me. I could go on forever about it. Isidore South, the studio we record at here in town, is right next door to Walker Percy’s childhood house and when we first started recording there, I was reading this book called <i>The Last Gentleman</i>, which is based off that area and Country Club Road and the golf links there. Then, when I went down to New Orleans once for a memorial service, and I overheard someone talking about Walker Percy and ended meeting this wonderful photographer named Jared Ragland, who had just done a black and white series on Walker Percy in New Orleans. He’s actually going to be doing the photos for the 7-inch that’s coming out November 15th and he’s hopefully going to be helping out with the album artwork as well. So it’s just crazy. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>CKD</b>: What exactly is Communicating Vessels? Is it a record label, publishing company?</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>PL</b>: It’s a real deal label owned by Jeffrey Cain and he’s the best ever. He’s been in the industry a long time and just knows a lot. He has a lot of savvy, knowing how to nurture a band because he’s an artist himself. There’s just so much freedom there and so much excitement. There’s a studio to record in and there’s someone to be excited about. If you have a sure idea or a record cover idea, he’s going to be support and be into it. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>CKD</b>: I heard a lot about it and went to the website. I just wanted to confirm what it was. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>PL</b>: Yeah, it’s just a label that’s going to nurture bands from the ground up. So it’s just crazy because he’s picked so many great artists. The Grenandines to me are one of the best bands in Birmingham, and the Great Book of John, and Green Seed. And Sanders Bohlke just moved from his home with his wife from Mississippi to Birmingham. It’s just exciting to me that something is being nurtured and grown here as a Birmingham thing, but understanding too, that there’s a whole world out there to have fun in. They’re doing press and doing the whole real deal label thing to help promote your band. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>CKD</b>: What are your plans for the album and your music for the next year to year and a half?</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>PL</b>: Well, I think we’re going to release it in February. But I think I just want to do a house show tour with certain groups of people who have reached out these past few years and inspired me to keep writing. A few people in Michigan, Seattle, California, and Nashville that I just want to go play for and hang out with and just be with them and chill and not just go play clubs for four weeks. I don’t want to just play clubs. I want to be with people I love and respect and be respectful and loving and have a good time. So that’s the first plan, just to do some chill, more relaxed shows to get my feet wet. Just be around some communities of people and use that to inspire the next push of what we do, whether it is to go on a six-week club date tour. Just have that as the beginning experience of this new venture. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>CKD</b>: What’s the best way for our readers to find out about your music?</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>PL</b>: I guess right now through Facebook, Preston Lovinggood, and the Communicating Vessels website. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>CKD</b>: Where would you hope to see the Birmingham music scene in the next few years?</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>PL</b>: I would just love to see it continue to think outside the box, which is what I love about Communicating Vessels is that they think outside the box and they do think about the world, and know that there’s a world outside of Birmingham. While knowing there’s a world outside of Birmingham, they’re still loving and acknowledging Birmingham, and still respecting the art of playing music for other people. </span></p>Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-74270696536633596552011-08-10T17:46:00.003-05:002011-08-10T17:52:31.719-05:00Local Music Spotlight: The Wilson Thrills<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PGKTV_e1jdg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><div>
<br /></div><div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The music of the Birmingham-based Wilson Thrills goes beyond the songs of your typical punk rock band. For one thing, all five members have either studied, are currently studying, or are about to start studying music in a university setting. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">“Josh Crowe (Keytar) and I both graduated this past May from Birmingham-Southern College with music degrees,” says lead singer and guitarist Joey Wilson. “Phillip Blevins(guitar) will be a freshman at University of North Alabama in the fall studying music, Jonathan Rawson (bass) studies music at Samford, and Dylan Hughes (drums) studies music at Alabama, so it’s obvious what our hearts are set on.”</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Another vital element to their sound is the aforementioned keytar, a surprising addition to the typical setup of the genre. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">“Josh is very tasteful with it though and knows how to really add something three dimensional to the group’s sound,” Wilson said. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The band formed in December of 2010 after the disbanding of Wilson’s math-rock outfit, The Tangled Cord. They have since played at well-known Birmingham venues such as Bottletree and The Firehouse, as well as a South by Southwest benefit show in March with local acts The Magic Math, Delicate Cutters, and the Grenandines. They released their self-titled EP recorded by Les Nuby of Vulture Whale. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The music calls to mind energetic punk-pop and progressive punk rock similar to Ace Troubleshooter and Saves the Day with driving guitar solos, musical breakdowns, and the occasional hardcore scream, all led by Wilson’s Colin Meloy(The Decemberists)-sounding vocals.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Lyrics such as “</span><span style="font: 12.0px Arial; letter-spacing: 0.0px">They just love to beat you up/</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">They just 'love' everything/Is it healing? Is it healing?/Or is it all interfering?” showcase the album’s theme of “struggle and getting through the hard times with a positive attitude.”</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">“Lyrically I tend to use phrases that actually came out of my mouth in </span>conversations. I get a little annoyed with overly poetic lyrics in songs,” said Wilson. “The majority of the lyrics in ‘Hole In My Throat’ are things I yelled over the phone to a girl who broke my heart. The lyrics in ‘Song for Mom’ are the actual words I said to my mom while she was in a hospital bed.”</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The group has done very well for its first eight months together, but realize that they still have some goals to accomplish before hitting the big time. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">“Being around bands like Vulture Whale, Grenadines, Magic Math, and the Green Seed really inspired us to work hard like all those bands and let nothing stop us,” Wilson said. “But we gotta work hard to get there. Our motto is ‘Dream big. Work hard.’ ” </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">You can catch The Wilson Thrills at the <a href="http://baamfest.com/">Birmingham Arts and Music Festival</a>. They will be playing The Rogue Tavern on 2nd Avenue North at 6 PM on Friday, August 12th. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">
<br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">You can also download their free self-titled EP and acoustic demos release at their <a href="http://thewilsonthrills.bandcamp.com/album/the-wilson-thrills">Bandcamp</a> site. For other updates, visit their <a href="http://www.thewilsonthrills.bandcamp.com">main site</a> or become a fan on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/thewilsonthrills">Facebook</a>. </span></p></div>Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-69467943882921882262011-07-20T16:11:00.001-05:002011-07-20T16:16:24.083-05:00Local Music Spotlight: Wilder Adkins<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gSz51ztq6dE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Vera Serif', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; "><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Ryan Adams once sang, “when you’re young, you get sad.” He must have been speaking about songwriters such as Wilder Adkins. </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">“I used to make up song parodies on the playground back in elementary school. I thought I was going to be the next Weird Al,” Adkins said. “Then something happened in my teenage years and I got sad. Now I write sad tunes, and songs about flowers.”</p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Adkins is a Birmingham-based singer/songwriter with a flair for fingerstyle folk. He came to study at Birmingham-Southern College and started playing shows around town at venues such as Urban Standard, The Red Cat, Moonlight on the Mountain, and Bottletree Cafe. </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">He draws from a well of rich influences.</p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">“C.S. Lewis used to refer to George MacDonald as his master. I suppose my masters would be Richard Thompson, Bruce Cockburn, and Dougie MacLean. Of the younger set, I like Elliott Smith and Ryan Adams. I'm also into Indian classical music,” he said. </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Lyrically, Adkins focuses on the fleeting nature of life (“Brevity”), nostalgia and simple memories (“Bright and Beautiful”), faith (“Mecca”), and the idea of home (“Georgia Breeze”). He says that songwriting is about finding a balance between “overt” and “cryptic,” an idea that is explored in the song “Hope and Sorrow.”</p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">“I think in life you get a choice; either to recognize beauty or not. I try to appreciate simple beauties in life,” he said. </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">He has self-produced and recorded two albums of original compositions, <i>Nightblooms</i> and <i>Nativity</i>. He also has a live album, Live at Eddie’s Attic. </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Adkins is currently working on his third release, <i>Oak and Apple</i>. “I started working on it in January, as a collection of hymns played fingerstyle on a classical guitar,” he said. “The project has kind of transformed, in a good way, to be a more collaborative effort, and has a mix of original songs alongside some of the old hymns.”</p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">These collaborations have also affected the way he views the performance of his songs. </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">“I've never had a band because I don't like telling people what to do, but I have had the opportunity to try a few songs out 'full band' lately, and I think I may be ready to start doing some gigs like that,” he said. “The vibe is a lot different, and it's harder to be improvisational, but it's nice to have bass and drums helping to fill out the sound.”</p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">You can connect with Adkins via <a href="http://www.facebook.com/WilderMusic">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/wildermusic">Twitter</a>, and <a href="http://wilderadkins.bandcamp.com">Bandcamp</a>.</p></span></div>Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-9068077857290567852011-07-19T12:32:00.002-05:002011-07-19T12:40:52.082-05:00Local Music Spotlight: War Jacket<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Vera Serif', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; "><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Birmingham-based photographer Caleb Chancey discovered two vital elements for the songs that would eventually make up his musical project, War Jacket. </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The first was the collaborations and friendships he had made through <a href="http://greyhavencommunity.com/">Grey Haven Community</a>, a local music collective that he helped found back in 2008. </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The second was the discovery of a baritone ukelele at Homewood Music. </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">“As soon as I picked it up, it was like one of those things where you find what you’re supposed to be doing and how you’re supposed to be doing it, and something just clicked and the songs started coming after that. It didn’t take very long to write these songs that were on the record,” Chancey said. </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The recording project, engineered by Corey Scogin, began as a casual venture between musically inclined friends, but soon began to take shape as a full album. </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Chancey’s major influences, which include songwriters such as Damien Jurado and My Brightest Diamond’s Shara Worden and bands such as Fleet Foxes, helped him develop a mixture of ukelele-driven folk and what he calls an “ambient room sound.” He also says he has found inspiration from the musicians featured on the record, which include Birmingham’s Joel Madison Blount, Seattle’s Dan Phelps, and New York’s Brian T. Murphy. </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The lyrics showcase a blend of personal emotions and thematic storytelling, exploring the “dark beauties” of life, with song titles like “Remember You Used to Love Me,” “White Picket Cross,” “Part of the World That I Like,” and “You Were My Sunshine.”</p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The title of the full-length record, <i>Live Like You’re Going Home</i>, comes from the final song, “The Core” (which was also featured on a <a href="http://musicforalabama.bandcamp.com">tornado relief album</a> Chancey produced a few months back). </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">“After listening to the songs, there was a kind of nostalgia feeling to the record, where the idea is a lively purpose. A bunch of these songs are kind of sad things, but they’re worth it in the end. The idea is walking from this sadness to this inspiration of living very purposefully,” Chancey said.”To me, ‘live like you’re going home’ is this goal. Everybody knows what it feels like to go home and for a lot of people, there’s a sadness in that. Like if you come from a broken home. But you know what the idea of home and this sense of belonging is, no matter where you are.”</p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Chancey began a Kickstarter campaign in June to help fund the pressing of the record. The digital release has already been scheduled, but he wanted to give listeners (as the aptly titled campaign states) “<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1499100484/war-jacket-something-you-can-hold">something you can hold</a>.”</p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">“The idea is that I love handmade and tangible things. I’m fine with mp3 releases, but to me, I love vinyl. I love special things that you can put into people’s hands,” he said. </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The campaign offers a wide variety of pledge packages, including the vinyl record, lyric art, limited edition photography, videos of live performances shot by Birmingham’s Stephen DeVries, and the chance to book house shows. Only three days remain for the Kickstarter campaign and it will only be funded if all $6,000 is raised by July 22. </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Through this project, Chancey has said he has grown “immensely” as an artist. </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">“I’m getting to the point where because of the collaborations and the friendships that I’ve been experiencing through the project, they have lifted me up to where I can say I’m a musician because I’m standing on their shoulders. I am extremely moved by that and very proud to call myself a musician now, but the only way I got there was through other people’s help. That’s the way I want to stay there,” he said. </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">You can see War Jacket, The Clay States, and Lauren Michael Sellers play at Bottletree Cafe this Thursday, July 21 for $7. For more details, click <a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=182578655136824">here</a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=182578655136824" style="color: rgb(3, 108, 151); text-decoration: none; ">.</a></p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">For more information on War Jacket, visit <a href="http://warjacket.com">www.warjacket.com</a>. </p></span>Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-66141688831686942712011-07-01T09:15:00.000-05:002011-07-01T09:15:16.681-05:00Interview with Justin Cross<b>1. First things first, how did you get into playing guitar and writing songs?</b><br />
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<i>I actually taught myself how to play after finding my dad's old guitar at the fire station he works at. I guess he tried to learn but gave up and put it away. I found this dusty old guitar in a closet and asked him to teach me something. He showed me a G chord (which was the only thing he knew) and I just went from there. I couldn't get enough of it. <br />
As far as writing, I have been putting down my thoughts to paper for as long as I can remember, so I guess after picking up the guitar, the most natural thing to do was to write down what I was thinking or feeling and put music to it. Writing songs just felt like the next step after learning to play. </i><br />
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<b>2. Who or what provides your biggest influence when it comes to writing?</b><br />
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<i>I would have to say that my biggest influence is a man named Bill Mallonee. He is a fantastic singer-songwriter from Athens Georgia. He has been playing since the early 90's and is just the most honest songwriter I have ever heard. Every time I write, it is my goal to be as transparent as he is in his songs. </i><br />
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<b>3. What lyrical themes do you find yourself coming back to?</b><br />
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<i>I am a very introspective writer, so, if I accomplish my goal of being transparent in my writing, I write a lot about my failures, fears, hopes, and love. I am actually a recovering cynic, so a lot of the songs I am working on now have themes of brokeness or hurt, but are centered around hope. But really, each song to me is a snapshot of who I was when I wrote it, so the are kind of like journal entries in a way.</i><br />
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<b>4. You're originally from GA. How did you arrive in Birmingham and how did you get into the music scene?</b><br />
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.<i> I came to Birmingham for school originally, but got into the local music scene after taking a break from school to pursue music. My first show was at my friend's apartment and I played to about ten or fifteen people. I loved performing songs that I had previously kept to myself so I played more and more. I was introduced to Caleb Chancey, one of the founders of Grey Haven, by my friend Corey after recording a demo in Corey's home studio. After getting in with Grey Haven, I met most of the guys I play with now and have had a lot of great opportunities to play at some great places with great musicians. </i><br />
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<b>5. Describe the inspiration behind the name "Listening to Ghosts" for your first record.</b><br />
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<i>"Listening to Ghosts" was really just something I started singing while playing one day. The album is definitely a break-up album, and I wrote the song as a closing statement to a relationship that ended in a way that really affected me deeply. I remember letting go a lot of hurt and bitterness as that song was being written. It was my way of saying "I'm over it." I felt it was a fitting title to the album because of what the song meant to me. </i><br />
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<b>6. How were you able to get on with the Birmingham SXSW crew and could you describe the experience? </b><br />
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<i>I actually wasn't with the Birmingham crew in Austin. The label that put out "Listening To Ghosts" got me the sets for SXSW. I remember getting the call that I would be playing in Austin for SXSW and having to sit down... it was a bit of a dream come true. Austin during SXSW is unlike any other place I have ever been. There is so much talent and influence in a five block radius that it can feel completely overwhelming at times. It was a great honor to play though, and hopefully I can go back next year.</i> <br />
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<b>7. What are some of your plans for the rest of 2011?</b><br />
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<i>I am getting ready to start work on a new project this year. I wrote most of the songs on "Listening To Ghosts" when I was in High School, so I have written all of these songs that are much more new and exciting to me that I cannot wait to get on record. So, I will be working on that, as well as playing as much as possible. </i><br />
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<b>8. How would you say you've progressed as an artist over the last few years?<br />
</b><br />
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<i>Oh man. I don't know where to begin. I have grown a lot as a songwriter and performer in the last few years, and I would say that it is because I made it a point to surround myself with and take in great influences. I listen to music now to study other artists crafts as performers, lyricists, and musicians. This has been my main source of growth. Determining who I wanted to influence me. What I wanted to sound like. Another way has been being able to play with and for great musicians and artists here in Birmingham. It is an amazing center of untapped talent. Birmingham's music scene has more of a sense of camaraderie than most other cities, and I think it is because we know we have to work together to get Birmingham noticed as a legitimate base for a huge number of up-and-coming artists. I am very proud to be a part of it, and it has influenced me in deep ways. <br />
</i><br />
<br />
<b>9. Any shows lined up that you would like to promote?</b><br />
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<i>Yes! I will be opening for my hero, Bill Mallonee, for the second time on July 6th at 8:00 pm at the UCF House. I am very excited for the opportunity, and really want a lot of people to come out and discover what I discovered four years ago. Bill's performances are second to none. He has a way of truly feeling every word and note that comes out of his mouth, and it is truly an amazing thing to see. Can't wait to see everyone there. </i>Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-9192455507447576122011-06-12T22:47:00.000-05:002011-06-12T22:47:49.441-05:00Local Music Spotlight: Fire Mountain“Fire Mountain makes real music,” states the Troy, Alabama-based group’s Facebook page. Like their contemporaries and occasional showmates Red Rover, the members of Fire Mountain yearn to create authenticity in their lyrics and sound.<br />
<br />
“Real music makes you feel something. It elicits an emotional response which could be either positive or negative,” says lead singer and guitarist Perry Brown. “When music is 'real' you can tell that the artist really means what they are singing or playing and you can feel that. On some level you can relate to what they are saying no matter what it is.”<br />
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This emotional response is captivating and heart-wrenching at times, especially on songs such as “Fade,” which includes the line: “At sixteen you prepare for things/One of them sure ain’t death.”<br />
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The band (whose current lineup includes Brown, Adam Vinson on percussion and vocals, Walter Black on bass, and Bryan Segraves on keyboard) formed in late 2009 and performed its inaugural show at Eclipse Coffee and Books in Montevallo. Since then, the band has played several shows in Birmingham (Bottletree Café and Parkside Café) and Helena (La Reunion Coffee Company). Troy, Waverly, Wonderroot in Atlanta, and will be closing out their tour in Panama City.<br />
<br />
They have been constantly touring in support of their debut EP <i>Liars’ Cup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAiQpf3MfmO-ML2oeR5s2xTXHYaQuf6i4aHwa3u10ec7_fIRLlRzG_ngw1Iqdsb6KD-fVc8Cgq8ETw6YwgzQj-VQzURLpgql1sMrpVhVmFtqzAJ0RwUSAIR79zfdKcbn9hqSpl6-9Gkc0/s1600/fire+mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAiQpf3MfmO-ML2oeR5s2xTXHYaQuf6i4aHwa3u10ec7_fIRLlRzG_ngw1Iqdsb6KD-fVc8Cgq8ETw6YwgzQj-VQzURLpgql1sMrpVhVmFtqzAJ0RwUSAIR79zfdKcbn9hqSpl6-9Gkc0/s320/fire+mountain.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</i>. The 5-song release showcases the band’s folk/rock sensibilities. The title track explores the transitions that occur in life and the idea that things don’t always turn out the way we want, especially when we make hasty compromises:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>“Is faster really the best way to get it done?<br />
Fast is only good if you're on the run.<br />
We all got a twisted view of love.<br />
If it's right, why do I feel wrong?”<br />
</blockquote>While the harmony of Brown and Vinson suggests a strong Fleet Foxes influence, you can also clearly hear similarities to Ray Lamontagne in Brown’s voice. The energetic compositions and buildups (especially on standout track “Turn Around”) also reference Wilco, Iron and Wine, and Damien Rice.<br />
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“I think our biggest accomplishment has been the ability to be able to record and tour to promote this EP,” Brown says. “I know that might sound dumb, but most of us have full time jobs and it's just awesome for us to actually be able to keep plugging away at this dream we have without getting burned out on it.”<br />
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Become a fan of the band on Facebook or check out the band's main website (www.firemountainbandcom) for tour updates, new releases, and to purchase the EP.Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-806251085988562602011-06-05T19:48:00.002-05:002011-06-05T20:01:48.335-05:00Arthur Alligood: I Have Not Seen The WindArthur Alligood’s latest record, I Have Not Seen the Wind, begins and ends with a request. <br />
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The first track “Show Some Heart” has Alligood or the character in the song asking someone in his life for a hint of affection, a glimmer of recognition. The final song “Come On Something” yearns for responses from equally important ideas and persons such as breakthroughs, new starts, and Jesus. The rest of the album that is sandwiched in between explores these hopes. <br />
<br />
“There are lots songs about the brokenness that occurs in any relationship,” says Alligood, who makes his home in White House, Tennessee. “Some are more narrative based. Others are like conversations.”<br />
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“I love the idea of a record, a complete group of songs that tell a story from beginning to end,” he continues. “If each can stand on its own then it seems logical that grouped in the right fashion something even greater can be created.”<br />
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<i>I Have Not Seen The Wind</i> marks Alligood’s third full-length release, preceded by 2005’s Formerly, 2006’s Under the Grey, and 2009’s Full Circle EP, the latter of which was offered as a free download on Noisetrade.com <br />
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Alligood alternates between his patented folk/Americana and singer/songwriter tunes, equipped solely with his acoustic and the occasional background vocal, as well as pedal steel provided by producer Kenny Hutson (famous for his work with Over the Rhine and Vigilantes of Love) to more driving full-band alternative rock numbers. <br />
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He draws the foundation of his sound from a variety of older and modern influences such as songwriters David Bazan, Bill Malonee, Townes Van Zandt, Denison Witmer (to whom he bears a close vocal resemblance), Guy Clark, Lucinda Williams, and Thad Cockrell. He also receives inspiration from authors such as William Gay and Flannery O’Connor. <br />
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Hope in the face of doubt, struggle, and resistance is the air this record breathes. Through songs such as lead single “Keep Your Head Up” (Stop your fighting/let me do the fighting…I am, I am/I am much closer than your next breath) to “Turn It Over” with its chorus urging the listener past personal heartache and disappointment (Turn it over/ Find the other side/ And see it through). <br />
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“Piece Me Together” yearns for redemption and reconciliation, a chance to stop being alone (Like a lost child I have wandered, but in my heart now I know/I can't make it on my own). This song as well as “Gavel” and the title track reveal the poetic side of Alligood with a strong use of imagery and repetition:<br />
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“Can't judge the future by the past <br />
Can't judge a moment by the one before <br />
Can't judge a beggar cause he asks <br />
Or a rich man who won't give to the poor”<br />
- “Gavel”<br />
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“I've seen sunsets over the ocean <br />
I've seen peace stay just out of hand <br />
I've seen hearts wound one another, but I have not seen the wind”<br />
-“I Have Not Seen The Wind”<br />
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A more layered and full sound comes to a head on songs such as the electric guitar and organ-soaked sound of “Make Her Smile” (a love song with imagery of journey to land from sea) and “Where The Storm Meets the Sun”, whose first few chords sound subtly like the beginning of REM’s “Losing My Religion” but transforms into a brighter-sounding tune based on “Sally Lloyd-Jones' take on the story of the Great Deluge. <br />
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“I wanted to make the greatest record of all time. This is how I have to look at it,” Alligood says. “I don't think I made the greatest record of all time. Instead I may have made a good record or maybe a great one. I'll let others decide. I am very proud of it though. More so than anything I have ever done.”<br />
<br />
Despite his personal feelings about the record, Alligood accomplishes his mission of presenting a complete and comprehensive record from beginning to end. Each song holds weight and possesses purpose. Each one stands the test of time…and the wind.<br />
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Check out the record at www.arthuralligood.bandcamp.comChris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-256816543338548452011-04-29T13:23:00.000-05:002011-04-29T13:23:07.937-05:00RED ROVER INTERVIEWChris K. Davidson: Tell me about the genesis of the band. I know it’s gone through several manifestations.<br />
<br />
Opie Paul: What is this, our fourth band or our fifth band?<br />
<br />
Evan Mullins: I think it’s our third. No it’s our fourth. I don’t know what the first one was called, but we went by Pi, then we went by Indighost. Now we’re Red Rover.<br />
<br />
OP: Before that, we were No Chance Slowdance. Our high school band <br />
<br />
EM: Oh yeah in high school, we were called No Chance Slowdance for some reason. <br />
<br />
OP: We started playing together at church. Me and Evan started playing guitar in 9th grade. We’ve always wanted to play music, and I’m kind of embarrassed to this, but Third Day was the first band that made us want to play guitar. But then after that, we got into Muse, Coldplay, U2, Radiohead. <br />
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EM: Then like a plethora of bands that have influenced us. It’s kind of funny though cause we started out largely with Pi and moved to Indighost once we found a drummer. It’s like we fought the urge to make folk music. Cause whenever I pick up an acoustic guitar, all I want to do is play folk music. When I play electric, I didn’t do it. But my voice isn’t suited for rock, but for some reason, we kept making rock music. Then we sat down and decided we should play folk music, because we couldn’t fight it anymore. <br />
<br />
OP: I think we had an initial love of rock music. I mean, I still do. But honestly, our roots…we’re really suited for folk music. But I guess, the genesis is that in high school, we wanted to get a band together and play rock music, even though we sucked greatly.<br />
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EM: Yeah, we had this drummer, not gonna name him, but he just beat the shit out of his drums; it was like the worst thing ever. He was a bad drummer.<br />
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OP: I’d say we went through some growing pains, but we finally decided we need to settle on what we sounded best at. We wanted to be rock, but we’re so suited for folk music and honestly, it’s probably been the best musical decisions we’ve made so far. <br />
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EM: Yeah if that was our Genesis, then I’d say we’re done changing and Red Rover is our Revelation. <br />
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OP: Yeah I’d definitely this is our final stand. We’re folk music.<br />
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EM: This is our Alama. If we don’t do good with this, then we’re done.<br />
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CKD: And what about the name?<br />
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EM: We grew up in Pell City, Alabama. We used to think it was a crap place to live and I guess it still kind of is if you count it as far as like things to do. But it’s a nice town to live in if you’re retired or want to raise a family. When I started writing these new songs for Red Rover- at the time I didn’t know was gonna become Red Rover- I wanted to focus on what we had done in the past and where we had came from. I use a lot of elements from around town and Alabama. I thought Red Rover was good because it’s very childish. Not to say that our music is childish, but my influence as a writer comes from the past…it doesn’t come from what’s going on right now. If stuff happens 3 days ago, then I’ll write about it. So it comes from the past. Red Rover was my favorite game when I was a kid. <br />
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EM: We’ve got a plethora of mascots. We’ve got Clifford and Red Range Rovers; Actually that’s only two mascots. <br />
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CKD: What about major music influences?<br />
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OP: Like I said before, in the “rock” phase, it was definitely Muse, Coldplay, U2 were my biggest influences. Matt Bellamy and Radiohead and Jonny Greenwood are my biggest guitar influences. But recently, in the folk genre, it’s definitely been Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver have been the biggest influences. <br />
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EM: I think the reason I count Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes- maybe not so much Fleet Foxes, but definitely Bon Iver- is because Justin Vernon, he just doesn’t care what he sounds like. He’s so brave when it comes to making music. If I can just make a song as brave as anything Justin Vernon has done, then I’ll feel accomplished. Other than Justin Vernon and Robin Peckold from Fleet Foxes, I’d say some of the older influences, I’d say- it’s sad because I’m just now getting into them- Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash. A lot of these 60’s sunpop bands like Buffalo Springfield and The Association. There’s just a lot of good 60’s music that’s underrated and everybody forgets about that’s so good. Those are some of the biggest influences and one thing I really want to work on is getting more harmonies in the music and I definitely draw that from the 60’s bands because their harmonies are so good. <br />
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CKD: And I guess you’ve already touched on this, the whole lyrical themes. Childhood, well I guess more like reflections. <br />
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EM: It’s kind of a reflection. The project before Toga! Toga! was called Armoire. The first half of 2009 was a terrible year. <br />
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OP: Probably the worst year of our lives<br />
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EM: A lot of it is about time. About time passing and not having enough time for what you want to do or what you need to do. I had this little four song thing when I was with Armoire and it was called The Dustbowl. Even still, when I write music, I still draw influence from it because 2009 was a dustbowl for me. But basically, lyrically it’s about time. For example, there’s the Avondale mill in Pell City. We wrote a song about it called “Avondale” and it’s a fictionalized story based on reality. It was a textile mill that burned down and I used that. It’s the reason why Pell City even exists. It was a big hit for Pell City so I wrote a song about it. Things from the childhood and time. I know that’s really broad.<br />
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OP: We also have Vulcan’s Valley and it’s about Birmingham and the song’s about the problems of the city.<br />
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EM: How the leaders are running it into the ground.<br />
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OP: We love Birmingham, but it’s got its problems like most cities. <br />
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EM: Time, things in Birmingham, and stuff we grow up with. <br />
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OP It’s personal lyrics. In Vulcan’s Valley, this is probably my favorite line in any of our songs: “We’re searching for something that’s real.” We want real music and something that’s not fake. <br />
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EM: When you turn on the radio, you hear these overproduced singers that are sixteen-years-old and the only reason that they’re there is because they look cool. But their music isn’t real. They don’t write it; they have people write it for them. If I can do anything, I want to share with people music that’s real; music that’s from the heart. That’s one of my goals for writing. If it’s real, then it’s good.<br />
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CKD: What about recording? I know you were talking about doing the free EP thing.<br />
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EM: I’m full of empty promises.<br />
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OP: Recording has probably been one of our biggest setbacks.<br />
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EM: I’ve started with this really crappy 8-track recorder and now I’ve moved on to bigger and more technological things and I have this program Some of our recordings have turned out good, but some mastering is what’s needed now. We’ve got a handful of tracks, 14 to 16 at the most. What I’m thinking about doing and I think Opie would agree is we could narrow it down to 6, 7, or 8 tracks, put some money down to master them, and hopefully put out an album. I’m hoping to do that before December or January. Because playing shows are pointless if people don’t have something they can get their hands on and listen to. <br />
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OP: I think it’s also just the fact that how it’s one of our biggest setbacks is that we’ve never recorded in a studio or anything close to it. We’ve recorded in a garage and a bedroom. I remember when we were in Indighost, to make a vocal booth, we ended up putting Evan in this corner of his corner and took his mattress and pushed it up against him to put him in this little space. And nothing’s ever sounded good. We’ve struggled with finding a good place to record. I mean, I think it sounds pretty good.<br />
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EM: Money’s always a problem. When you’re in college or working a minimum wage job, money is always a setback. I guess we can make do with what we have. <br />
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OP: We played this music festival in South Carolina with our good friend, Arthur Alligood, and he said, “Ya’ll sound so much better live than you do on the recording,” and he just really wanted us to go to a studio. Since then, we’ve really been considering it. We’re gonna save up some money and go somewhere with good acoustics or something because we really need to sell some cds when we play shows so people can hear us all the time and get to know us and some of our songs. <br />
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EM: Not even sell. I’m completely okay with putting money in a project and giving it away. <br />
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OP: I’m okay with that too. We just need something that people can listen to regularly when they’re driving around and get to know our songs. <br />
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CKD: Besides a physical cd one day, what do you hope the audience takes away from the show?<br />
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EM: My goal as a musician has never been focused on money. I mean, money is a good thing because it’s fun to have but it’s the recognition. As long as people know that we exist and that we make good music, I’ll say that’s been a good day. If we go play a show and one person comes up…even if it’s a bunch of BS, but someone comes up and says they like our music, it’s like the encouragement to go on for the next day. <br />
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OP: It’s so encouraging when people say they like our music.<br />
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EM: Even when it’s fake.<br />
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OP: There are friends who wouldn’t tell us that we suck even if we did. <br />
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EM: It’s encouraging. As long as people say they like our music, I’ll be satisfied with what we do. <br />
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CKD: So what are the plans for the next year or so?<br />
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EM: Shows<br />
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OP: Shows, shows, shows. We’re gonna try our best to get some shows.<br />
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EM: I know we have one coming up on October 15 with To Light A Fire at Eclipse. I’ve been trying to get the Nick up in Birmingham. We’re just trying to get together and play shows. It’s a lot easier to play shows than record. <br />
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OP: I’d say a big goal is just to get a decent following of people that knows us and says “Red Rover’s playing here. Let’s go and we’ll have a good time.” Cause right now there’s not a whole lot of people listening to us. It’s not like we’ve started a show that we played so bad that they left. They just leave before we start playing. They don’t know us. It’s discouraging sometimes but I’m really hoping to get a decent following and a decent crowd.Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-35499001009536661452011-03-25T21:15:00.001-05:002011-04-26T14:40:05.811-05:00The Great Nonfiction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg4on-W_Odt-505szwTUG-40h4kbBq7u76h6PX87fkQtZM2G_Qmh4ZAvbeGMr6JyG1IPjU-UNMu3aCc9fMYaCGV5p7iXNbzQXvtyiukfNbjLhaGwB20ulOuy38FK11ZFIgWQNwdkqHKWc/s1600/TGN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg4on-W_Odt-505szwTUG-40h4kbBq7u76h6PX87fkQtZM2G_Qmh4ZAvbeGMr6JyG1IPjU-UNMu3aCc9fMYaCGV5p7iXNbzQXvtyiukfNbjLhaGwB20ulOuy38FK11ZFIgWQNwdkqHKWc/s320/TGN.jpg" /></a></div><br />
For David Brasher, The Great Nonfiction represented a change from his usual environment; a chance to expand into deeper musical territory.<br />
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The guitarist and one of three vocalists for the Montevallo-based, indie/pop group, Brasher came to the university after playing electric guitar in a Birmingham rock band. He wanted to continue playing music, but knew it was time to take a different musical path. <br />
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“I had been writing a bunch of songs, but I only had an acoustic guitar and no rock band to play with, so my music changed a whole lot to fit the blueprint for those songs because I had always played electric. I always wanted to sing but was too afraid to, but I figured now was the best time to do it because I had all these songs and if someone was going to do it, it would have to be me.,” Brasher said. <br />
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He soon recruited two fellow Montevallo students, keyboardist/vocalist Maranda Jennings and vocalist Katelyn Perkins, to form The Great Nonfiction. The group’s sound relies heavily on 2 and 3-part harmonies, acoustic guitar picking and strumming in keys that stray away from your typical G, C, and D found on the average radio single, and stirring piano arpeggios and chords. The band cites their major influence as The Civil Wars (another piano and acoustic guitar duo with haunting male and female harmonies). Others include Relient K,John Mayer, Bon Iver, Paper Route, and Birmingham-based singer-songwriter Matthew Mayfield. <br />
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The band’s lyrics are wrought with a plethora of emotions and themes ranging from the severing of friendships (“House Fire”) to love (“By The Riverside”) and heartbreak (“When She Sings”). The push for authenticity is also prevalent and is inspiration for the group’s name.<br />
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“One thing David used to tell me when I first joined was that more than anything, he wanted his music to be honest,” Jennings said. “So I think that’s one of the biggest things, not putting up any barriers or false pretenses or even cookie-cutter stuff, but just letting our music be honest.”<br />
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Though Brasher composes most of the lyrics and music, a fair amount of collaboration has gone into their first batch of original songs. <br />
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“We did “Wake Up Everyone” together and “By the Riverside” together. We sat at a piano with the guitar, agonizing over every note and being frustrated with parts that wouldn’t come,” Jennings said. “But usually it seemed like the more frustration we had about it, the better the end result is. It can be painful, but we can get some really cool stuff together.”<br />
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“It’s a rare thing that we start writing something and are immediately satisfied with it,” Brasher said. “For us it’s a process of constantly deconstructing and rebuilding the songs lyrically, melodically, and musically to try and get the best possibly song we can.”<br />
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“My favorite part, since I’m normally an opera singer, is getting to collaborate with people who do something amazing that I normally don’t get to do everyday in the classroom,” said Perkins.<br />
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Since the summer of 2010, the band has been in the studio recording these songs for their debut release. Entitled Ghost Stories, the album reminisces on past relationships. “The songs on the record are about people who no longer have the same place in your life that they once did, or are not in your life anymore, or are about situations you went through,” Brasher said. “When we play the songs, it’s a way of reliving those memories and feelings, or bringing back those ghosts.” <br />
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An official drop date has not been set, but the band hopes to continue playing shows, writing songs, and making a name for themselves. Major goals include securing an opening act spot for Matthew Mayfield or The Civil Wars at Workplay, finishing the cd, and inviting more people to share in the stories that resonate from the heart of the songs.<br />
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“I hope the audience likes and connects with our music, and us. It’s definitely a goal for our passion and love for playing music to come across when we play live,” Brasher said. “Ultimately, I want to play music that emotionally affects the listener. I would love for that to happen when we play live.”<br />
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“This is my dream. This what I want to do for the rest of my life,” he continues. “Music and songwriting is my passion. It’s the only outlet I’ve ever had, and I love being able to share it with everybody. To have people come up to you and tell you they really liked a certain song, and how it moved them because they went through the same thing is such an incredible feeling.”Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-21519454462167664722010-10-18T12:09:00.001-05:002010-10-18T12:17:55.429-05:00To Light A FireBirmingham’s melodic alternative rock quintet, To Light A Fire, began when vocalist/keyboardist Ben Smolin and guitarist Tyler Cody started playing music together their senior year of high school. “We eventually got everyone together. I was dating Allison (drummer/vocalist) and she started singing harmonies in the group and started playing drums and keys,” Smolin said. <br />
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Bassist Shane Cardinal and guitarist Andrew Flickinger rounded up the final lineup. The band started to practice regularly and seek out shows in local venues, finding audiences in coffeehouses, and then eventually expanding to The Nick, Bottletree, and Workplay. <br />
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Smolin chose the name To Light A Fire as a metaphor for what the music creates in both the listener and the musicians themselves. “The idea was that when you hear a song out of a person that you really like, it’s usually because you relate to that and feel an emotion inside..reminds you of breaking up, reminds you of something you feel.”<br />
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The group cites a diverse range of influences such as U2, Radiohead, Tool, Slash, and Our Lady Peace. Cardinal hails from New Orleans and Smolin says that Cardinal’s vast knowledge of all things musical and melodic heavily influenced the band’s sound in the early months. “A lot of the stuff I listen to is stuff he gave to me. Like when he joined the band, we were like, ‘You should give us some of the stuff you listen to.’ And he literally brought down a stack of 15 CD’s and gave them to me,” Smolin said. “And he did that every single practice. He definitely brings uniqueness to the group.”<br />
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Lyrics and music are almost always written together during practice. The band emphasizes the idea that every instrument has its own voice and carries and complements the song in an unique way. Smolin often writes lyrics on the spot to go along with the emotion being exhibited in the music. “I guess a lot of themes that come out are personal, definitely religious, God, struggling with all that. I guess that’s probably been some of the main themes. I like to think that a lot of the lyrics apply to everyone in the band because I really do emotions from what Tyler is playing with his notes and the beat that Allison’s doing,” he said. <br />
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“That’s the majority of it and the rest he’ll take and make stories, fictional stories of someone we have no relation to or haven’t experienced yet. “Take Your Time” and “World War 2” are basically stories. “World War 2” is coming from the perspective of someone in World War 2 and he’s really good at putting himself in these places; singing to where we all can relate to it somehow,” Flickinger added. <br />
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So far, the band has released two recordings, 2009’s To Light A Fire EP and 2010’s Inward Dwelling, recorded by local producer Joseph McQueen of Dos Amigos Recordings. While the majority of the songs of TLAF were written solely by Cody and Smolin, Inward Dwelling represents a more collaborative effort. “In a five person band, we’d each come in with ideas but you have to see it as a group thing. You can’t think of your part as the most important. And it wasn’t that any of us were arrogant or trying to be selfish; it was just this idea of learning to play,” Smolin said. <br />
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“For me personally, it was an enormous jump between the first and second CD’s. I made my own name in the band and I was able to make my voice heard. And that was the big difference for me, putting my emotions into it. We’re still learning about what our style is and it changes all the time,” Flickinger said. <br />
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As far as live shows go, the band has started packing up the trailer and hitting some out-of-state gigs on the weekends. However, finding their niche was a difficult task in the beginning. Smolin said he would find plenty of venues, but the band would almost always end up on a bill with hardcore and screamo acts, a problem pop-punkers Saves the Day had to deal with early in their career. This time around, he hopes to do things differently. The band has shows lined up in Birmingham, Mobile, Nashville, Atlanta, and Athens.<br />
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Ultimately, the band hopes to develop a following along with achieving a sense of longevity. “Even if we have an awesome tour and we quit our jobs, we don’t want to be that one band that has a successful hit and then dies. Even if we were set for life and that’d be awesome, but what we really want to do is to keep playing music. Take a band like U2. One of the reasons I respect them is that they’re not doing a reunion tour where they’re playing their old hits for the 50th time. They’re creating new music and even at 30 years, they’re still enjoying each other’s company,” Smolin said. <br />
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“They’re a family and that’s what we are. We really are a family and we’ve been through a lot together. Not one of us is going to walk out on this project,” Cody added.<br />
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“We’ve almost got enough new material for another album and it’s gonna be completely different from the last one because we learned more about how to play with each other. Out of all the weird styles, we’re learning to bring it together as our own and we’re learning our own style,” Flickinger said.<br />
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Check out the band at www.tolightafire.com or become a fan on Facebook.Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-15261210871757536162010-09-19T09:09:00.000-05:002010-09-19T09:09:28.167-05:00Giants and ToysBlues-influenced rock with a twist of indie/alternative and a subtle helping of ska. A lead singer with a musical and lyrical affinity for Tom Waites. Energetic live shows with visual nods to Wayne Coyne and The Flaming Lips. The Montevallo five-piece known as Giants and Toys is gaining some serious momentum. <br />
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The band started in the fall of 2008. Michael Messina (Lead Vocals/Guitar) and Jack Kish (Guitar/Vocals/Synth), who both graduated from Montevallo High and had been playing music together for several years, started looking for a new drummer and vocalist. They even went as far as to put up Singer Wanted posters around campus, but just ended up “meeting some pretty weird people.” <br />
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They recruited percussionist Chris Estes, bassist and trumpet player James Vance, and keyboardist and trombone player Jake Finn from another Montevallo act, Hey Man!, of which Kish and Messina were also members. “We had done Hey Man! as sort of a novelty ska band that won the Battle of the Bands our freshman year. Then it kinda went a little further and we actually played a show in Birmingham. That was a pretty big crowd, Chris was interested in playing drums not just for Hey Man, but for something more substantial,” said Messina.<br />
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“Jake played trombone in Hey Man and he was a music major and that was his first experience being in a band. Vance has been in ska bands since high school,” Messina continued. “Initially, Vance was gonna be the trumpet player and I was gonna be the bass player cause I’ve played bass since high school. Jack was gonna play guitar and Chris was gonna be on drums.”<br />
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However, as the practices became more routine, each member began transitioning into their current role in the band. Vance moved to bass, allowing Messina to take on guitar and vocal chores. It was during this period that the band realized that simply jamming out was not enough. “December 27th, 2008. That’s when we wrote our first song (“Hold Me Down”) collectively,” Estes said. <br />
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“It was a song that I had written and something that I had never even considered. I wrote it my senior year in high school. A lot of turbulent things were happening my senior year. It was something on my back catalogue that I never thought about playing,” Messina said. <br />
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Messina said he just started playing the song one day at practice and the band took a hold of it and made it their own. “From there, we were like ‘Man this is something we can do’,” he said. <br />
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Their name often throws venues and first time listeners for a loop. “We get a lot of interesting confusions. My favorite one was Giants with Boys or Giants and Boys. Giants with Toys, that’s what BAAM called us on the internet. But we’ve heard some interesting variations,” Messina said.<br />
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The idea for the moniker came to Jack Kish after a failed Google search for “cool band names.” “I think I had read somewhere that some band had named their band after a movie I liked and I thought we needed to try that. Second Lions, we thought about that one. Then, Giants and Toys was an old movie from the 50s,” Kish said.<br />
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The movie was a Japanese film about three competing candy factories; the members admit they have not seen it all the way through, though they said you can find it on Youtube. <br />
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John Nicholson created their famous robot logo that has been seen on past show posters. “Every great venture in business, music, and entertainment, they always have a logo so we wanted something people could identify us with and GAT wasn’t positive,” Messina said. <br />
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Musically and lyrically, the band draws from a wide variety of influences such as Kings of Leon, Modest Mouse, Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, Tom Waites, and The Flaming Lips. <br />
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“What you think influences you is not necessarily what your music is gonna sound like. Evan from Toga! Toga!, when we first played our show with them, he said that I sounded like a mixture between Jim Morrison and Jack White when he played with the Raconteurs. I thought that was interesting because I didn’t necessarily sit down and say, ‘That’s what I wanna sound like,’” Messina said. <br />
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“Most of the songs are about having a good time, some of them are about heartache, some of them are about some really dark stuff. Some of them are just fun,” he continued. “I mean, there’s no theme. I’m not trying to write every song the same way. I have a lot of messages I want to convey.”<br />
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The band began recording this summer, though they experienced some initial turbulence. “Before we went into the studio, we had planned to have album out by June 30th, but the first recording studio we went to kind of screwed us over,” Estes said. <br />
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However, through Estes’ grandfather, the band got placed in the hands of Grammy-nominated record producer, Don Mosley. Messina said that stepping into the studio for the first time was nerve-wracking.<br />
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“They had an original Fleetwood Mac from one of their albums; it was a painting, the original artwork in the recording studio. We were just like, ‘Who else has been in there?’ and now we were in there recording our stuff. That was cool, that notion. Figuring which people had been where you’re standing,” he said. <br />
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If everything goes as planned, the EP will drop October 31st.<br />
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In regards to their live act, Giants and Toys played their first show in February 2009 and played one show a month in Montevallo, alternating between The Bus Station and The Main Street Tavern, eventually making the trip to Birmingham for a show at the Firehouse. Recently, they’ve participated in Birmingham’s inaugural BAAM Festival, playing at Matthew’s Bar and Grill on Morris Avenue. They also kicked off the school year with a gig at Eclipse Coffee and Books.<br />
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The band said that they hope to provide an entertaining and energetic show that provides a lasting memory for the audience. <br />
“For me, I just want everybody to have a good time. Smiling and dancing. I really feel like our music is about having a good time, getting rid of your cares for a little while,” Estes said.<br />
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“I hope, that since I man the confetti cannon, that they take away a little piece of confetti,” Kish added. <br />
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“I want people to remember us. That’s my biggest thing. It’s kind of childish. You know, but it’s kind of like going after your American Dream. You just want to be remembered. I hope the crowd will remember us. I hope it won’t be some three month shindig and they say: ‘Yeah I remember that. It was fun that you did that. You should start up a different band.’ I want it to last,” said Messina. <br />
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Listen to their music on www.myspace.com/giantsandtoys or become a fan on Facebook.Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-39480807210572919122010-08-16T20:07:00.002-05:002011-08-15T17:56:59.169-05:00Collaboration and The Birmingham Music ScenePaul McCartney and John Lennon. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. Crosby, Stills, and Nash (and occasionally Young). These musicians created a plethora of memorable music through intense collaboration. These relationships exist mainly between individual musicians but can also affect the songwriting community of major, music-infused cities.
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<br /><div>The melodies that float from the heart of Birmingham, Alabama songwriting collective, are well thought out and innovative, but often underappreciated.
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<br /></div><div>“Birmingham musicians have grit and sincerity. We have our backs against the wall and I really believe that we have a lot of fight left in us,” says Jon Black, a musician who moved to Birmingham from Georgia a few years back. Black plays his own style of folk/rock with an Americana twist and frequents the city’s most prominent venues such as Workplay Theatre and Bottletree Café. </div><div>
<br />“We're not Nashville and we're not Atlanta,” he continues. “We're a bunch of post-punk southerners with a do-it-yourself attitude.”
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<br /></div><div>Part of this “do-it-yourself attitude” allows for more artistic freedom. The 21st century musicians are discovering ways to record and distribute their songs in an innumerable amount of avenues. This sea of independent talent is often so overwhelming and crowded that an artist must find an element that sets him apart in songwriting. Musical collaboration plays a role by providing artists with a challenge to blend styles and ideas, to immerse themselves in a community of songwriters, and to impact the future of the local music scene.
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<br />BLENDING STYLES AND BENDING GENRES</b>
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<br /></div><div>A songwriter often develops a personal style that is familiar yet creative. He seeks after a particular sound and hones in on the lyrics and melodies. However, he sometimes becomes stuck in his chosen genre while creativity ebbs and flows. He begins to seek outside sources to spark his imagination. The process can begin with simply changing from an acoustic-driven sound to something more electric-laden. Lyrical collaboration can lead to a variety of themes and concepts that neither party had previously explored.
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<br /></div><div>“Collaboration in the songwriting process can be critical. I think the one thing that people need to realize is that the songwriting process is not the same thing as co-writing a song,” Black says. “The process is a tedious journey through multiple versions of lyrics and music and you will always need someone there to bounce ideas off of.”
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<br /></div><div>The concept of “bouncing ideas off each other” serves as a system of checks and balances. While collaborating, one artist must be able to read into the other’s thoughts in order to pull out a more complex version of the original concept. On the other hand, that person who comes up with the initial song idea must be willing to relinquish some control in order to create a successful tune.
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<br /></div><div>Matthew Mayfield, another Birmingham songwriter who once fronted alternative rock band Moses Mayfield and currently records under his own name, understands this system. During several of his recording sessions, he enlists the help of John Paul White of the indie-folk group, The Civil Wars. “We just have a good friendship and he's an amazing writer/player. He gets me and my strengths and I can reciprocate. That makes for a really great dynamic,” Mayfield says.
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<br /><b>COMMUNITY</b>
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<br /></div><div>Jon Black also adds that to build a music scene through collaboration, musicians must rely on and support each other, both in a recording and performance setting. “You have multiple bands playing shows together and multiple people playing in multiple bands. Backstage they're talking about life and being friends. They're talking about what records they're listening to and what they ate for lunch. They're sharing life with each other and that's the collaboration that leads to great songs.”
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<br /></div><div>In the Birmingham music scene, the act of musicians playing in several different bands during the same show manifests itself in the ever growing songwriting movement known as Grey Haven Community. Local photographer Caleb Chancey started the organization in 2008 as a way to drawn in and showcase local talent. He and musician/pastor Josh Wilson met for BBQ and began discussing an issue that had been on Chancey’s mind, the future of music.
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<br /></div><div>” You see musicians on labels, videos, and TV. You see musicians doing their own thing and then you hear about community of musicians that band together like the Brooklyn Community, the Asthmatic Kitty Community and the Seattle and Portland communities. They have this great camaraderie. So what is the idea of us getting together and exploring music together with the sole purpose of doing nothing but creating together?” Chancey says.
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<br /></div><div>Grey Haven takes the simple formula of the ten songwriters/two songs each open mic night and gives it a unique twist. Every time a new member comes to the bi-monthly gathering at Urban Standard Coffee, they must perform with someone who has played before. This rule encourages collaboration between both professional musicians and hobbyists. Oftentimes, the performers play anything from traditional “band” instrument such as acoustic and electric guitars, drums, and keyboards to more “unorthodox” rock instruments such as cello, mandolin, ukulele, and violins. A punk rock act can be found on the same set as a country artist and folk and electronica musicians also populate the stage.
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<br /></div><div>Members of Grey Haven use their collaborations from these meetings as a springboard to explore further musical ideas. Landscape architect and musician, Neil Couvillion, started playing at Grey Haven after the second show. After a few performances, Chancey approached him. “At the fifth show, Caleb came up to me and said we had to record the album. That was the beginning process. We started planning out the album in the fall and I have met not only great musicians, but kind of a family of friends and musicians. It opened a lot of doors and creativeness.” The result was Couvillion’s 2009 release, <i>Time Machine</i>, which expanded on his original compositions by incorporating the efforts of several Grey Haven performers. In instances such as this, the artist dives head first into the community and allows this new reservoir of ideas to challenge his or her own ideas about songwriting.
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<br /><b>LOOKING AHEAD</b>
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<br /></div><div>In the final stage of the collaborative process, the musicians take their creative efforts from the studio to the world around them. The ultimate goal is to continue developing relationships with artists who are willing to create and develop new ways of playing and enjoying music.
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<br /></div><div>Grey Haven Community keeps an online library of every musician who plays at their events </div><div>that contains bios, lists of specialty instruments, and music. The group uses this catalogue for future participants in the Grey Haven events who are looking for collaborators, but Chancey has much more ambitious goals. His hope is for Birmingham to be a resource for travelling musicians. If an independent band plays a show in the city and need a violin, bass, guitar, or piano player, they can contact Grey Haven and request the musician who plays that particular instrument.
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<br /></div><div>“When you have that, you have independent musicians pulling from the local scene and they’re playing with them. No longer is your friend the opener for the band, they’re playing with the band. You’re going to want to go see that show because your friend is playing with the band and that creates a deeper community. The musicians benefit, the songwriter benefits, everyone benefits,” he says.
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<br /></div><div>Others recognize the importance of groups like Grey Haven, but know that many more musicians must jump on board for the scene to be successful. “The Washington Post said that Birmingham had the potential to be the next Austin or Athens,” says Jon Black. “I believe that but we really need a few artists to catch some breaks and figure out a great way to build a bigger community around local music.”
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<br /></div><div>Until then, performers in Birmingham will continue to collaborate, continue to perform, and continue to pour out melodies that echo the heart and soul of the scene.
<br />Check out music from the interviewed artists:
<br />www.whoisjonblack.com
<br />www.matthewmayfield.com
<br />www.greyhavencommunity.com
<br />www.myspace.com/neilcouvillion</div>Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-85860423736436961522009-12-08T09:13:00.003-06:002009-12-08T09:15:08.654-06:00LOCAL MUSIC SPOTLIGHT: TOGA! TOGA!When we last spoke with Toga! Toga! back in September, the indie/dance band from Montevallo was testing the waters of live shows and taking its first steps into the limelight. They wrote and recorded their first batch of songs, played shows at Eclipse Coffee and Books and at the now-defunct Alabama Coach Company, and slowly, but surely, laid the foundation for a consistently growing fan base. <br />
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Just a few months later, Toga! Toga! has redefined the term “overnight success,” at least in the local scene. They have recorded almost 30 songs, including fan favorites such as “Rulers of the Universe,” “Myself and Me,” “Your Girlfriend (Likes to Dance)” and “Now or Never.” They have also incorporated covers of MGMT’s “Kids” and (The) Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up.” As far as live performances are concerned, they have played numerous shows at Eclipse, a two-song set at Kids Got the Disco! (a monthly dance party at the Bottletree Café in Birmingham), and recently opened for DJ Nastique and Gil Mantera’s Party Dream at Bottletree. Finally, their song “1984” has received airplay on Live 100.5 for the last eight weeks, thanks to DJ Coco and his “Sunday Night Social” program.<br />
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The band, which consists of University of Montevallo students Jordan Barrios, Evan Mullins, and Ben Aslin, admits that their recent success seems almost too good to be true. <br />
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“ I think every time we all sit and think about it, it’s mindblowing how quickly we’ve evolved from a couple of friends just making dance beats on my computer to people wanting us to play shows at their venue. We’ve evolved from that to being played on the radio and we’re very pleased with that,” said Barrios who handles most of the vocal chores for the band and also plays keyboard and guitar. <br />
Their journey started back in August with the members wanting to create something fresh, a band completely different from Barrios and Mullins’s acoustic and singer/songwriter roots. After bringing in Aslin on keyboard and implementing the style of such indie dance pioneers as MGMT and Passion Pit, the band started writing songs and searching for a definitive name for themselves.<br />
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Mullins eventually found inspiration from the 1978 college party film, Animal House. The name comes from the infamous pre-party scene where John Belushi yells “Toga!” as his suggestion for the final celebration in the movie. “When people think of togas, they think of the quintessential party at the university; the toga party. And we like to have a lot of fun and we like to party so it fits,” Mullins said. <br />
“I think [the name] also shows the excitement we have,” added Aslin, referencing the all-important exclamation marks of the band’s title.<br />
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Though the band still acknowledges its early musical influences, they said that their tastes are constantly changing and evolving. Barrios said he has been listening to bands such as Friendly Fires and Chromeo; he also said that Ghostland Observatory has inspired his stage presence. Mullins’s early influences included “French electronic dance music” and he said he is now listening to 70s’ era dance and funk such as KC and the Sunshine Band and The Beegees. Aslin said he started with MGMT and Justice and has followed Mullins into the world of “funky beats.” <br />
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Aside from writing and recording, the band focuses a lot of their time on their energetic live shows, which are often populated by crowds of 30, 40, or even 50 fans. The members make a point to interact with and entertain the crowd every chance they get. “If we get the crowd going, if the crowd is smiling, if the crowd is involved the entire time, then that’s a successful show for me,” Barrios said.<br />
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“We have a lot of stage presence and a lot of energy but what really is the deciding factor for a good show depends on the audience. Their participation and the happy vibes that they’re giving off,” Mullins added. <br />
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As strange as the “indie dance” craze sounds to some music listeners, the genre is catching fire and Toga! Toga! seems to be leading the way in Montevallo and the surrounding areas. “I feel like that right now, across the world, there’re a lot of terrible things, a lot of decline and when you listen to rap and singer/songwriters you experience some of that decline…Bon Iver for instance is very sad and I think that dance music is happiness,” Mullins said. <br />
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The band said that their biggest break came through a chance encounter with the aforementioned DJ Coco. “We all made a cd with our first 8 songs on it. I went to a party with DJ Nastique and she was really thrilled. She listened to it and really liked two songs on it. At the next Kids Got The Disco, which is a monthly dance event that they have at Bottletree, she played two of our songs and I got onstage and sang with the track. DJ Coco, who’s on Live 100.5, was actually the guy next to me doing DJ work as well. Apparently he liked our stuff and he asked us for the tracks and played them. The other day, the station contacted us about getting a new song.” <br />
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Though not everything is set in stone, the band has some big things happening for them in the next few months. The band hopes to embark on a southeastern tour with DJ Coco this spring. Mullins said that they will keep fans posted about any new details.<br />
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They will also be playing at Bottletree with DJ Coco on December 23 for a free “Christmas with Coco and Friends” show. Their new single “Cutfire” will debut on 100.5 this week’s edition of the “Sunday Night Social,” which is on from 7 to 9. <br />
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With the whirlwind of success that has occurred, the band said they are constantly reminded of the fact that they could not do anything without their fans. “We love everyone who supports us and supports our music. We have a lot of fun with our fans. We’ve gotten to know a lot of them. They even play a lot of roles in what we do,” said Mullins.<br />
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“If it wasn’t for our friends and fans, we wouldn’t be where we are right now. A lot of them volunteer time to sell our merchandise and help promote us, like burning cds. We don’t mind you burning our cds. That’s a compliment,” Barrios said. <br />
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To hear the musical stylings of Toga! Toga! and find out more information about upcoming shows, visit www.myspace.com/togatogafunkyfresh or become a fan on Facebook.Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-6852232166764290372009-11-30T22:19:00.002-06:002009-11-30T22:19:07.119-06:00SWITCHFOOT CONCERT REVIEWOn November 22nd, Jon Foreman and the members of the San Diego-based, alternative rock band, Switchfoot, played a sold-out show at Exit/In in Nashville.<br />
The band was on tour to promote Hello Hurricane, the latest and seventh album released in their 13-year career. Posters of the album art covered the backdrop of the stage and plastic seagulls hung from the ceiling. The stage was large enough to hold the typical band setup- drums, keyboards, and an arsenal of guitars. The venue itself could be described as a smaller Workplay with a bar and balcony and was filled to capacity with a standing-room only audience of 160, who had come from such diverse locations as Illinois, Alabama, Ohio, Florida, and Kentucky. <br />
The first set for each concert of the tour had been the same; play the new album from beginning to end. This effort could either fail or succeed depending on the participation of the crowd. Fortunately for Switchfoot, the crowd seemed to have memorized almost every lyric and sang along as if Hello Hurricane had been around for years.<br />
Foreman and his bandmates even experimented with the musical stylings of these new songs by bringing out a mandolin for “Hello Hurricane” and album closer “Red Eyes,” a baby grand piano for “Always,” a cow bell for “Bullet Soul,” and an accordion, a harmonica, and a tambourine for “Yet.” <br />
After a short intermission, the band came out for a “Greatest Hits” set. Before the concert, Foreman had sent out a message on the band’s Twitter account asking the audience if they had any song requests. The most popular requests played at the show included Switchfoot’s biggest radio hits (“Meant to Live,” “Dare You to Move,” “Stars,” “Awakening,” and “Oh Gravity”) and fan favorites (“Let That Be Enough,” “On Fire,” “Learning to Breathe,” and “Twenty Four”).<br />
Though Foreman consistently addressed the audience throughout the concert, he managed to bring his crowd interaction to a new level at the beginning of the second set. He borrowed hats and sunglasses from various members of the audience, used a man’s camera to film a video of the venue during “Awakening,” took out his own camera to snap a picture of the audience, and hopped off the stage several times to walk amongst the fans. He served as frontman and entertainer, as well as conductor for the orchestra of fans singing at the top of their lungs. <br />
The most memorable moment of the concert happened during “Dare You to Move.” Foreman left the stage, walked up the stairs, and leaned on the edge of the balcony during the second verse and chorus. During the song, he looked as if he intended to jump from the balcony into the middle of the crowd. He soon realized there was not a safe place to land, ran down the stairs, and finished the song onstage, much to the disappointment of the audience and to the relief of his band mates. <br />
The concert did have one imperfection. Foreman’s vocals cut in and out or at least seemed lower than usual during a few of the slower numbers. However, the band made up for it with their charisma and showmanship. Foreman made a point to make the show unique by including stories of how much Nashville meant to him and the band (he wrote “Let That Be Enough” at a Nashville hotel during the band’s 1999 tour). This night at Exit/In would mark yet another memorable concert for the band and their fans. Overall Rating: 4.5/5Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-16149339491152888912009-11-27T14:27:00.000-06:002009-11-27T14:27:08.147-06:00MUTEMATH CONCERT REVIEW: 11/2/09Riding the wave of momentum from their sophomore release, Armistice, the alternative rock/electronic act, Mutemath, paid a visit to the Magic City on November 2nd. The quartet from New Orleans has already built a loyal following in the Birmingham area with shows at both the Workplay Theatre and Soundstage; their last appearance was in November 2007.<br />
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This time around, the band took their act to the Alabama Theatre. Opening act, As Tall as Lions, failed to appear due to travel dilemmas so a D.J. filled in for the 8 o clock slot. Though the remixes of current and classic hits were enjoyable for the first half hour or so, the audience was anxiously waiting for Mutemath to hit the stage. Finally, the band started up their set with a high-energy performance of “The Nerve.” From there, the band proceeded to capture the audience with its unique mix of music, stage antics, and media.<br />
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The songs stemmed mainly from Armistice and their self-titled record and included renditions of “Spotlight,” “Backfire,” “Anymore,” “No Response,” and fan favorites “Typical,” “Stare at the Sun,” and “Reset.” The band incorporated several instruments in their set including an array of keyboards, guitars and keytars, an upright bass, voice modifiers, a full drum kit, and an extra bass drum that lit up when played; lead vocalist Paul Meany even used his piano stool as a percussion instrument during “Stare at the Sun.” <br />
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The backdrop resembled the cover of Armistice and provided the mixed media portion of the show. Live feed of the band as well as scenes from miscellaneous videos appeared on the screen for several songs and guided the show visually. The technical element of the concert also relied heavily on the lighting, which effectively set the mood and built suspense for the individual songs.<br />
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Known for their on-stage feats and acrobatics, the band was all over the stage. Meany did handstands on the keyboards, leapt into the air, and rushed into the audience, who rewarded him with a plethora of high fives and shouted admirations. Guitarist Greg Hill and bassist Roy Mitchell-Cardenas participated in the chaos as well by moving to and from the different instruments throughout the show. However, they seemed to have been given the responsibility of ‘holding down the fort’ in order to maintain the tempo of the music, allowing the other two members to orchestrate more daring feats.<br />
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Drummer Darren King provided the most memorable moment of the evening. During the final song, King punched out the center of his bass drum, put it over his head, and proceeded to play blindly. One could only speculate the consequences of returning to the days of the instrument-smashing grunge era, but it proved effective for this particular concert.<br />
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Overall, the band put on a successful show, with the exception of a few lulls in the middle of the set; not to say that the theatrics were not entertaining, but the constant pulse seemed to be wearisome at times. Hopefully, Mutemath’s novelty will not wear thin and the forthcoming concerts will be even more extravagant.Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-79361838823015591072009-11-27T14:24:00.000-06:002009-11-27T14:24:56.568-06:00WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE FILM REVIEW: 10/30/09As seen with Transformers 1 and 2 and G.I. Joe, taking a childhood icon and producing it into a full-length feature film carries an array of risks these days. Directors face the pressure of interpreting their own version of the toy, TV show, or book as well as keeping and promoting the original theme in order to satisfy audiences. The latest film in this category is Spike Jonze’s Where the Wild Things Are. <br />
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Viewers have swayed mainly between two positions; either the film impressed them or severely disappointed them. I’ve heard a variety of descriptions from my peers such as “hipster movie of the year,” “Where the Wild Things Angst,” “brilliant,” and “iconic.” I side with the ones who thoroughly enjoyed the film and walked out of the theatre with a smile.<br />
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For those of you who don’t know why the film has been so highly so anticipated, I’ll give you a bit of background. In 1963, writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak wrote an award-winning children’s picture book called Where the Wild Things Are. The 9-sentence, 338-word book follows the journey of a boy named Max. A wild thing himself, Max dresses up in a wolf costume, threatens to eat his mother, and is sent to bed without supper. In his room, he imagines that he travels to a far off land full of wild monsters, who eventually make Max “King of the Wild Things.” After a chaotic “wild rumpus” through the woods, Max begins to feel homesick. He leaves the Wild Things and returns home to find his hot supper waiting in his room. <br />
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After several animated adaptations of the book, Jonze (Adaptation and Being John Malchovich) and author Dave Eggers (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and You Shall Know Our Velocity!) penned the screenplay for the live action version. Jonze directed and Maurice Sendak took on the role of producer. The cast includes an ensemble of new and veteran actors, including Max Records as Max, Catherine Keener as the mother, and James Galdofini, Paul Dano, Lauren Ambrose, Forrest Whittaker, Catherine O’Hara, and Chris Cooper as the Wild Things.<br />
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The movie follows the book fairly well, with some much needed additions to make it 102 minutes. Eggers and Jonze add several scenes in the beginning to reveal Max’s turbulent home life and to express his need for escape. Instead of going to his room, Max runs through the woods until he reaches the land of the wild things, who were made through a combination of puppetry and digital effects. He captures the loyalty of the creatures by threatening to reveal his magical powers and they crown him King. The main wild thing, Gandolfini’s Carol, entrusts Max with his vision to create the perfect dwelling, where all the wild things can sleep together in a pile and live together in peace<br />
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Bringing and keeping happiness seems to Max’s main objective as king, a task he finds very easy through events such “the wild rumpus” and a dirt clod war. These are the moments when the movie really comes alive, with the soundtrack (written by Karen O. of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) pulsating in the background. Most people, including myself, probably wished for an extended rumpus, but it’s enjoyable nonetheless.<br />
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The screenplay adds an interesting psychological twist to the original story. Each wild thing’s personality possesses some element of Max’s emotions, including rage, insecurity, happiness, and loyalty. By seeing his feelings manifested in this way allows Max to reconcile his turmoil and come to a point where he can return home to the “place where he is loved the most.” Viewers will also be intrigued by the way Jonze presents one of the book’s most famous lines: “Please don’t go. We’ll eat you up. We love you so.”<br />
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Lovers of the book are now middle-aged and college-aged and personally I think these groups are the audiences with whom the film will most resonate. Not to say you shouldn’t take your kids or younger siblings, but be aware that Jonze wrote the film for both kids and adults, so some of the themes require some level of maturity; Eggers’ dark humor comes through several times throughout the movie. Overall, however, the film is a moving, heartfelt journey and allows us to see a childhood tale come to life in an unforgeChris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-41296780093777625012009-11-27T14:21:00.000-06:002009-11-27T14:21:08.879-06:00SMART BROTHERS INTERVIEW/ARTICLE 10-30-09Upon seeing the name and hearing a snippet of music from this San Diego, California-based, Americana and folk-laden group, you may be quick to stash them under the same category as say, The Avett Brothers. Acoustic guitars, banjos, pianos, and infectious harmonies. Seems so formulaic and predictable, right? Further investigation will reveal that with their incessant touring, energetic live shows (which can last up to 4 hours) and growing catalog of original songs, the Smart Brothers (Lou and Jay)are making a strong name for themselves. <br />
Their journey as a band has brought them to several major cities across the United States including Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta, New York, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Montevallo. They have garnered several nominations and awards during this time including San Diego Music Award nominations for Best New Act and Best Americana Act, Best of the (Gulf ) Coast 2009, and winner of the Songwriter Shootout at Eddie's Attic in Atlanta. They currently have two albums out; 2008’s self-titled EP and 2009’s My Baby. <br />
I recently had a chance about to talk to Lou about the beginnings of the band, life on the road, and upcoming goals and projects. <br />
CKD: Describe the musical journey of the band (how each of you got started in music and how the band formed).<br />
LS: Well, we’ve been singing together since we were born. Then when I was 6 and Jay was 8 our grandpa taught us how to play the ukulele. He’s first generation from Portugal. We’ve played music and been writing songs together since then, in punk, metal, and indie acts. We started this group two years ago when we couldn’t practice with the volume turned up because we were living in an apartment complex. Our neighbors had just had a baby and we didn’t want to wake him. We traded our electric instruments in for acoustics and started playing on the street for money. We quit our day jobs and have been on the road ever since.<br />
CK: When it comes to songwriting, to what common themes do you guys find yourselves returning?<br />
LS: We pretty much write about anything that inspires us, which is usually love and all the things related to it. We don’t have any sad songs really.<br />
3. What are some of your biggest influences?<br />
LS: We like; The Beach Boys, the Everly Bros., Queen, Andrea Bocelli, Elvis, Tina Turner, Dion, and Jackie Wilson<br />
CKD: What are some of your favorite cities and venues to play?<br />
LS: Anywhere with nice people. <br />
CKD: What is the name of your upcoming project? Describe the songwriting and recording process.<br />
LS: We don’t have a title as of yet. The recording and writing process has been pretty different from what we’ve done before. We wrote all the songs that are going to be on it in about a month. The recording is much more minimal than our previous projects, much grittier and honest.<br />
CKD: What song, out of your entire catalog, would you say means the most to you and why? Are there songs that never leave the set list?-<br />
LS: We don’t really have a favorite song. Each song is like a child, special and unique. Each one represents a time in your life and it brings you and others back to that place each time you play it. We always change up the set list.<br />
CKD: How do you feel you guys have progressed over your time as a band, both individually and collectively?<br />
LS: The band has changes so much over the past two years. We’ve gone from street performers to touring musicians who can afford to do so. It’s awesome to do this for a job and we appreciate everyone who makes it possible. As people we have both learned more about each other and have grown closer. This job puts you under a lot of stress and in some crazy positions at times, and if we didn’t have each other we’d both be in some serious trouble.<br />
CKD: What are some of your goals for the next year to year and a half?<br />
LS: Our goal is to keep doing what we’re doing, we meet the best people through this band. Maybe go to Canada and Mexico too.<br />
CKD: Any advice to offer fledgling songwriters and bands?<br />
LS: Stay in school.<br />
The band will be playing Friday, October 30th at Eclipse in Montevallo. The band says Montevallo is one of their most favorite places to play so expect a fantastic show. To sample their music, go to www.myspace.com/thesmartbrothers .Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-79720837857522552702009-10-16T13:11:00.002-05:002009-10-16T13:11:44.317-05:00TOMS Shoes: University of Montevallo Club InterviewEntrepreneur Blake Mycoskie developed the idea for TOMS Shoes during a 2006 vacation to Argentina. He noticed that a large amount of the children lacked shoes, which meant the risk of a lymphatic-system destroying, foot disease known as Podoconiosis. The lack of footwear also meant children were not allowed to attend school. These factors led Mycoskie to sell his online driver education company and develop the now-famous “One for One” campaign; for every shoe sold by TOMS, they will deliver one to a child in need. To secure sustainability, Mycoskie has made TOMS a business instead of a non-profit.<br />
Mycoskie and his team personally deliver the shoes through “drops” by going to individual countries such as the United States, Haiti, Argentina, Ethiopia, Uruguay, and South Africa. He has found partners through the Clinton Global Initiative, Element Skateboards, AT&T. Since their inception, TOMS has provided 140,000 children and youth with pairs of shoes (as of April 2009) and plans to give away a million pairs by 2012.<br />
Randall Porter, a University of Montevallo junior, recently became a campus representative for TOMS. I talked with Randall about his involvement with TOMS, what events are being planned for the campus “TOMS Club,” and how other students can make a difference.<br />
CKD: How did initially get involved with TOMS?<br />
RP: This summer I felt as I wasn't doing anything with my life and I needed to do something. Something that could help make a difference in the world. Then I saw the TOMS commercial, went to the official website and saw how I could get involved and the rest is history. So I became a campus rep for the University of Montevallo.<br />
CKD: What would you say is the main goal of the Montevallo chapter?<br />
RP: To help the students of the university to get involved with something that not only helps others but helps them as well.<br />
CKD: How can UM students get involved with the club?<br />
RP: Well, three ways. 1. You can get involved by ordering shoes with the UM Discount and encouraging others to do the same. 2. Be a part of the staff, the UM TOMS Club, because you can create and give ideas about events. 3. Become a Campus Rep yourself. I don't have to be the only campus rep; actually the other day I got word that we have another person; [UM Student] Evan Mullins joined the cause too. Now we are partnering up on leading the school's club.<br />
CKD: Why do you think college students should get involved with organizations such as TOMS?<br />
RP: Because we students don't realize how much power we have to make a difference in the world. No matter if it’s big or small. You can make a change. As Ghandi once said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”<br />
CKD: How have you been personally impacted by working with TOMS?<br />
RP: Honestly, I feel like I have become a better person. I'm realizing that everything isn't about me and that there is always someone less fortunate than me. However, by getting involved with organization like TOMS, I can help change that.<br />
CKD: What events do you have planned or are planning for this semester?<br />
RP: So far we just want to get the word out that TOMS is here. We will have a TOMS campus party on Oct. 16, 2009 during lunch. We will be giving out discount codes and door prizes.<br />
For more information about TOMS, check out www.tomsshoes.com. Contact Randall at TOMSuniversityofmontevallo@gmail.com for more information about the Montevallo chapter.Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-47210699124303561812009-10-16T13:05:00.002-05:002009-10-16T13:05:57.811-05:00LOCAL MUSIC SPOTLIGHT: JESSE PAYNE“I grew up on Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys. I think Brian Wilson is one of America’s geniuses. Him and Aaron Copeland,” the dark haired and bearded Birmingham songwriter Jesse Payne said about his early listening habits. “I guess I also got into the Lemonheads. They led me down a path to A. A. Bondy and Duquette Johnston.” He also mentioned his current favorites which include, along with Bondy and Johnston, the White Oaks, another Birmingham-based alternative rock outfit. Though he admits his immediate family was not musically inclined, he picked up a love for the art from his cousins in Atlanta and eventually taught himself how to play guitar and piano.<br />
When it comes to songwriting, Payne acknowledges relationships and “the dynamic of humanity” as the major recurring themes in his albums (2004’s Humming.the.tunes.of.luxury, 2006’s Ghosts.in.Mirrors, 2008’s Between the Leaves, and the recently released, Nesting.) <br />
Several Chicago-based acts such as singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird and alternative country legend, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, provide the biggest influences for Payne. “I think those guys led me down a path to make me realize that music is not just a bunch of notes and sound manipulations. It’s gearing the ear towards where you want to go as opposed to letting the lyrics take the listener. I think they’ve been able to encompass not only the lyrical direction but also the color,” he said. <br />
When he played at Eclipse last Thursday, I saw these influences come alive in a full wave of folk/rock Americana (if you want to put a label on it). A vocal range that encompassed Tweedy, Bird, and a dash of Five for Fighting lead singer, John Ondrasik, and a musical palate that echoed both the old and the new melodies of the American music tradition. <br />
Payne played mainly tracks from his new offering, Nesting. He recorded the album at Capture Music, a Birmingham-based label/production company/studio, which is home to several other bands including The White Oaks<br />
“I’ve been working on Nesting since Beyond the Leaves. I came into the studio with Beyond the Leaves,” Payne said. “Beyond the Leaves was supposed to be a sampler of Nesting and when I walked out of the studio, I decided ‘You know what? I’ve recorded these four songs. I’m gonna move on.’ I started late 2007 writing for Nesting. We were in the studio for 6 days but that was after countless demos, countless notebook pages of scratches.”<br />
The album contains a total of 8 tracks, including “Yards of Paint,” “Manhattan Project,” and “Wes Anderson.” The last track mentioned holds a special place in Payne’s mind. He told me of his respect and admiration for the writer and director of such films as The Darjeeling Limited and The Royal Tennebaums. He said the director inspired him to acknowledge the “rough patches in my life” and allow the humor to “override the pain.” <br />
Payne has also toured extensively throughout the Eastern United States and Midwest. He self-financed a two year tour that included shows in Boston, Virginia Beach, Chicago, Atlanta, and Nashville. He’s opened for indie rock acts such as Tilly and the Wall, Gabe Dixon Band, and David Mead. Other successes include being featured on indie magazine, The Big Takeover’s “Top 40 Compilation” alongside Death Cab for Cutie and Band of Horses. <br />
In the last few years, Payne has settled back into his place in the city of Birmingham, recording several demos and albums as well as gigs at Workplay Theatre, Urban Standard, City Stages, Charlemegne Records, and The Nick. “I think Birmingham has a great scene of musicians. There’s a lot of talent in this place. Not having a whole lot of music industry here to kind of pave the way made artists around town rely on their own innovations. I think everybody’s done a really good job,” Payne said.<br />
Payne says his goals for the next year include selling some records and “sustaining the life of a musician,” a goal he feels is difficult if an artist does not discover and build on his own unique sound. “I think a songwriter has to find his specific sound and I think a lot of people will get out and have a hit record right off the bat and they can’t produce that again. I think it’s because they didn’t take the time and the steps to really hone in on who they are and what they’re trying to portray; what sound they want the listener’s ears to pick up on.”<br />
He is slowly beginning to tour the Southeast Region again. Three upcoming Birmingham shows include a gig with Tim Brantley at Workplay on October 23rd, a free-to-the-public Capture Music showcase at Virginia Samford Theatre on October 29th, and a show with Live 100.5 favorite, Oceanship, at the Rogue Tavern on November 7th. <br />
Finally, Payne urges appreciators of art and music to “learn how to listen” and not allow your favorite record or song to become meaningless background noise. “Because radios are always on and muzak is always going through the speakers of restaurants, people have just gotten immune to music and I think that’s a dangerous place to be in. Learning how to listen is a very hard talent to achieve I feel but it’s worth it once you get there.”<br />
Check out Jesse Payne on his website www.jessepayneonline.com to listen to selections from Nesting and get more information about upcoming performances. <br />
For the entire interview, check out the post below.Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-1939353779855875762009-10-16T13:03:00.001-05:002009-10-16T13:04:40.766-05:00JESSE PAYNE INTERVIEW OCTOBER 6THCKD: Describe your musical background<br />
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JP: My own musical journey? That’s a general question. I grew up on Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys. I think Brian Wilson is one of America ’s geniuses. Him and Aaron Copeland. I guess I got into the Lemonheads. They led me down a path to A. A. Bondy and Duquette Johnston. That brings us to date. I could list who I’m listening to now but I don’t know if you want that.<br />
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CKD: Go ahead if you want to.<br />
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JP : A.A. Bondy, huge fan of A.A. Bondy. Duquette, I’m a huge fan of Duquette Johnston. Etowah is a really beautiful album. Who else am I listening to? The White Oaks. Bon Iver, however you pronounce it. I think I’m gonna start going by Payne, is that how you said it?<br />
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CKD: Yeah something like that. So how did you get started playing music? Family, boredom?<br />
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JP: I think it’s in my family, but I don’t think my immediate family necessarily embraced it. My cousins played instruments. They lived in Atlanta and I seldom saw them, but I guess I picked up on their habits. And I pretty much had to teach myself for awhile. I got some guidance from a few people when I was young. I think my early childhood, I think I grew up in a society that was kind of geared toward another side of life. I think I was tricked into believing something else, and when I was old enough to realize that was a load of shit, I quickly fixed the situation.<br />
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CKD: As far as songwriting is concerned, what common themes do you find yourself coming back to?<br />
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JP: I think some songs are geared toward relationships, but when people say that it’s a relationship song, I think that’s a generalized assumption to a lot of music because relationships don’t always have to be between two people But I think the dynamic of humanity is the main theme I like to approach. And I think that’s all you can do is approach it.<br />
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CKD: Biggest influences?<br />
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JP: Jeff Tweedy and Andrew Bird. I think those guys led me down a path to make me realize that music is not just a bunch of notes and sound manipulations. It’s gearing the ear towards where you want to go as opposed to letting the lyrics take the listener. I think they’ve been able to encompass not only the lyrical direction but also the color.<br />
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CKD: What exactly is Capture Music? Is it a label?<br />
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|JP: It’s a production company, an independent label. It’s a number of things I guess. It’s a studio first of all. I was not apart of the label when I walked into the studio and I guess when I walked out, I was a part of the label.<br />
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CKD: Like a Johnny Cash sort of story?<br />
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JP: Very similar. I hope it has the same outcome without all of the drama.<br />
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CKD: So did you record “Nesting” at Capture?<br />
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JP: I did.<br />
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CKD: How long did it take and how long did it take to write songs?<br />
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JP: I’ve been working on “Nesting” since “Beyond the Leaves.” I came into the studio with “Beyond the Leaves.” BTL was supposed to be a sampler of Nesting and when I walked out of the studio, I decided “You know what? I’ve recorded these four songs. I’m gonna move on.” I started late 2007 writing for “Nesting.” We were in the studio for 6 days but that was countless demos, countless notebook pages of scratches.<br />
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CKD: Does the owl carry any symbolism?<br />
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JP: It does. Somebody told me that owls in the Native American world are angels. I haven’t done my research, but I thought that was a cool thing to hear. But the significance was that my father brought it out in my life when I was little. I think I’ve always seen life through night eyes, nocturnal eyes. I’ve embraced the nature of owls. It’s been a theme throughout my life; owls always seem to come up. When we were working on the artwork, me and Randy Penn, the guy who designed the cover, we were talking about the record “Nesting” and what it meant to me. It being a kind of homecoming, a seasonal thing, we just wanted to tap into something personal and dominant. I think birds of prey are spectacular because they can do everything in their habitat that can let them rule and fly. Every type of species, there’s that one dominant character and I think that birds of prey, the owl is definitely the dominant. I’m sure that can be debated. I’ve had many hours of lazy eye, thinking about all of this stuff. They can spin their head around. Hell if I could do that, I’d probably trust a lot more people or distrust a lot of people.<br />
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CKD: How long have you been playing with GreyHaven?<br />
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JP: I think we started playing on the second or third time around. We played three times in a row, then took off one, and played another one. We tend to go back and forth. It’s a fun thing to do and I think Caleb has put together a good group in Birmingham that’s starting to support the art and I think it’s very nice.<br />
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CKD: There were a lot of things going on the night you guys played GreyHaven. Sidewalk, the Greek Festival.<br />
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JP: And let’s not forget Taylor Hicks. I passed by Workplay going to Urban Standard. He had a long line of women standing in line. This was like five o’clock in the afternoon. My drummer got to GreyHaven and told me he had passed Workplay too, but he’d come from the 5th Avenue side. The funny thing was that Taylor was standing in the landing deck, just around the corner from all of these women who could have bombarded him. They didn’t even know. They were just gonna stand in line. If you explore, you shall find.<br />
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CKD: If we were to entertain the idea that Birmingham has a defined scene, how would your music fit into it?<br />
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JP: You want me to define the scene or insert me in it?<br />
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CKD: The latter<br />
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JP: I think Birmingham has a great scene of musicians. There’s a lot of talent in this place. Not having a whole lot of music industry here to kind of pave the way made artists around town rely on their own innovations. I think everybody’s done a really good job. I don’t know if I fit into the scene as much as enjoy the scene. I’m friends with a lot of people who are a part of the scene. It’s hard for me to be a part of it because I’m such a hermit. For two years writing this record, I stayed behind lock and key. So I don’t know if I fit into it, but I definitely enjoy it.<br />
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CKD: What song on Nesting means the most to you and why?<br />
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JP: “Wes Anderson” means the most to me. For everybody, if you put a span of two years on a human, there’s gonna be a lot of things that happen to that individual. During this time of writing, I think that song really sums up how my life was lived and approached. A lot of the subject matter…I think it’s the most personal song on the record. It’s not directly about Wes Anderson. I’m such a fan of that man. I think I try to draw from his creativity and intertwine it with my own life at the time. It almost helped me get through the time. There were a few rough patches. I make light of those patches in the song because of the inspiration Wes Anderson gave me because of the fact that though there’s a lot of serious subject matter in his movies, it’s so dry and humorous that it overrides the pain. I thought it was very interesting when I started going down that path of thought. <br />
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CKD: So I know you’ve pretty much toured the east half of the U.S. What are some of your favorite venues?<br />
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JP: Oh man I can’t think of the name of the place. It was up in Boston. We opened for a pretty big regional band up there. You know the singer/songwriter Blu? He was in the crowd and that’s the one memory I have of that place. Besides the guy outside who had to be a fisherman and you could barely understand him. I’m sure it was like someone from up north coming to very rural Alabama and having a hard time understanding people a little bit. It was a fascinating place and I wish I could remember it.<br />
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I can tell you my favorite cities because of the venues and because of the shows. Boston has to be up there. Virginia Beach, whatever venue it was in Virginia Beach. If you need the name of the venues, go to www.sonicbids.com/jessepayne.<br />
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Chicago is another one; not because of the venue. I just love Chicago probably because of Andrew Bird and Jeff Tweedy; just always looking up to someone from Chicago.<br />
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CKD: How long did you tour?<br />
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JP: I toured straight for about two years in a lot of those places mentioned. A lot of the places in the press kit were the bigger shows and there were a lot of shows in between. When you spend two years on the road, you take your computer and hope you’re gonna update it every time you have a new show. It just didn’t happen that way, partly because I was buddies with the people I was travelling with and there was so much to do while on tour. We’d go out for a month, then come for a week, then go back out for a month. Usually that month would entail us going up the east coast, then to Chicago, and back down 65. Usually when we hit Chicago, it was our last show. For whatever reason, I have no idea why. We never played any shows coming back home. Once we hit Chicago, that meant we’d already been up to Boston.<br />
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JP: It was completely independent. I had to wait tables to save a lot of money and at the end of the tour; we’d have a lot of memories and not a lot of money. But it was fun and a good learning experience; I’m glad I did it. We’re about to embark on another tour, but this time around, we’re not gonna go so far up, but just tour regionally and let it cycle on out. But hopefully we’ll be back on the road for two years.<br />
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CKD: Where are you from originally, city-wise?<br />
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JP: I’m from Birmingham. I’ve lived in Atlanta but I guess Birmingham would the town that I would claim. <br />
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CKD: Any shows in the next month or so that you’d like to plug?<br />
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JP: There’s a Capture Music show on October 29th at the Virginia Samford Theatre in Birmingham. It’s a showcase and it’s free to the public. We’re also playing with Tim Brantley at Workplay on Octobe 23rd. Then we’re playing with Oceanship on November 7th at the Rogue Tavern. <br />
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CKD: Any major goals you would like to accomplish in the next year to year and a half?<br />
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JP: Sustaining the life style of playing music. I think that’s the trick that a lot of people have in front of them but haven’t really figured out how to do it. I’m not saying I have either, but I think to say any goal outside of that is more or less a dream. I think it’s hard enough to sustain a music career with only playing music. That’s really been my life goal since I can remember; just to play music. I’d like to sell some records; there’s a goal.<br />
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CKD: How do you feel you’ve progressed over the last five years, lyrically and musically?<br />
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JP: I think a songwriter has to find his specific sound and I think a lot of people will get out and have a hit record right off the bat and they can’t produce that again. I think it’s because they didn’t take the time and the steps to really hone in on who they are and what they’re trying to portray; what sound they want the listener’s ears to pick up on. Five years ago, when I was starting out, I don’t think I realized that. But I think that for whatever reason, I went down that path of just building and going towards the sound I knew wanted; I just didn’t know how to achieve. Which is one of the reasons Nesting is called Nesting. I feel like it’s a homecoming. I feel I went so far away from what I needed to be just to know what I came back to. I think over the last five years, I have been able to find the sound that I’ve been looking for. Hopefully, this sound will allow me to give more than I could have five years ago to my listeners within the next few years.<br />
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CKD: Besides trying to find your own sound, is there any advice you’d offer to people starting out?<br />
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JP: Learn how to listen. I think I can come across as egotistical and I don’t mean to come off that way. Listening is as much of a talent as playing an instrument, giving a speech, conducting an interview; it’s something you have to learn how to do, you know? I think I learned how to listen too late----not too late--- but later than I would have like, later than the ideal. Ideally, I would have born with three ears. But I think music is so readily available now that a lot of times you’ll be driving down the road- it happens to us all- and you’ll have on your favorite record. You’re listening to it and you’re kinda into it, but you’re not listening. There’s so much other stuff going on. Or you walk into a JC Penny’s and you hear a song you like but you’re shopping. <br />
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CKD: There’s that familiarity because you’ve heard it all the time. It’s just background music.<br />
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JP: Yeah. It becomes background music instead of an art. I think when somebody buys a painting, the only way to appreciate is to continue to keep going back and looking at it and analyzing it. I know that it’s impossible to analyze music all the time because there’s so much in life that people have to do and want to do. But I think it’s important that you take time during the day and during the week and make sure you take an album, put headphones on (or whatever makes you comfortable), and try to pick out the little pieces. Aaron Copeland said one time…some of his essays. I’m gonna butcher this quote but “A great piece of art, if it is a great piece of art, will mean something different each time you return to it.” For someone who has learned how to listen, they’re able to pick out different things each time instead of letting it wash over them as background music. I think people, not any fault of their own, but because of the way society is…because radios are always on and muzak is always going through the speakers of restaurants, people have just gotten immune to music and I think that’s a dangerous thing to be in. Learning how to listen is a very hard talent to achieve I feel but it’s worth it once you get there.Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-20918718153766469432009-09-18T14:40:00.000-05:002009-09-18T14:41:10.454-05:00Reviews and Recommendations Take OneREVIEWS AND RECOMMENDATIONS<br /><br />MATTHEW MAYFIELD<br />REVIEW- FIVE CHANCES REMAIN HERS (2009, Self-released): Matthew Mayfield is returning to his roots. This 6-song EP kicks off with “Open Road,” a number that features lush orchestration including a full rock band set up (guitars, bass, and drums), as well as impressive violin work by Birmingham’s Jeanette Brabston. The lyrics explore the trials and tribulations of the touring lifestyle, as well as the emotions Mayfield has kept bottled up for the last few years. The song reaches its full potential in the climatic bridge (I’ve been deserted/my feelings perverted/by a ripped off and pissed off machine cycle circus/When we look in the mirror/it shatters with shame). <br /> The rest of the album follows suit with Mayfield shining on the middle three songs (“Lives Entwined,” “Timeless Art,” and “Better”). The trio chronicles a relationship through the fights between Mayfield and a significant other, fighting for that person, and then Mayfield asking for reconciliation and change (“For you/for me/make me a better man”). Some fans may disagree with Mayfield’s return to the full band setting, especially those who thoroughly enjoyed the simplicity of The Fire EP. However, Mayfield’s songwriting legacy and the affordable price of the CD itself ($4.99 at Barnes and Noble), allows you a chance to support local music and contribute to the thriving Birmingham “scene” that continues to grow with each new artist.<br />RECOMMENDATION- THE FIRE EP (2008, Self-released): Raw emotions and unrefined musicality populate Matthew Mayfield’s first solo EP. Written a few months after the demise of Moses Mayfield, he composes eight acoustic numbers that he records in a home studio for under $1000, an album where Mayfield “just let the mistakes stay…[the CD] feels more honest that way.” Standout tracks include “Razorblade,” Live 100.5 staple “Dead to You,” an acoustic version of Moses Mayfield’s “Element,” and two songs that I’ve heard at three weddings this summer, “By Your Side” and “First in Line.”<br />WILCO<br />REVIEW- WILCO (THE ALBUM) [2009, Nonesuch Records]: “Are times getting tough/Are the roads you travel rough,” sings Jeff Tweedy on Wilco’s seventh full length studio album. The Chicago-based band has received an assortment of labels over their 15 year career, including, but not limited to “alt-country,” “experimental,” “avant-garde,” and most recently, “dad rock.” The fact that the first and previously quoted song “Wilco (The Song)” is basically an infomercial about the band (“Wilco will love you baby”) seems to affirm what Tweedy said to American Songwriter magazine in June; that (The Album) is just “a goofy pop record.” <br /> Don’t let this statement fool you, though. Once you get into the middle of the record, the standout tracks become apparent. “You and I” features a duet with Feist, the singer/songwriter who brought the world the catchy, Sesame Street-friendly “1 2 3 4.” “You Never Know” points out the disagreements between religious groups about the end of the world. Tweedy explores his own spiritual journey in “Everlasting Everything” and “Solitaire”; the latter has Tweedy calling himself a fool for believing that there was nothing bigger than himself. <br /> Finally, the somewhat controversial “I’ll Fight for You,” features a soldier fighting for the freedoms of an unaware rich man, to whom he addresses the song. In the closing stanza, the character compares himself to Christ (“I’ll die like Jesus on the cross/My faith will not be lost/if my love comes across”). Though many people may patronize this lyric, they must acknowledge the fact that several movies portray Christ-like figures and symbolism; Tweedy just happened to verbalize the idea in song. <br />RECOMMENDATION – YANKEE HOTEL FOXTROT (2002, Nonesuch Records): Once upon a time, Warner Brothers subsidiary, Reprise Records, made a huge mistake. After listening to Wilco’s demos for what would become Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, they claimed that the disc had no potential singles and essentially no commercial value. The band bought the tapes for a reported $50,000, transferred to their current label, Nonesuch Records, and released one of the most influential albums of the last 10 years, with praise littering the pages of several well-known publications. Standout songs include the string-soaked “Jesus, Etc.”, the conflict-themed “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” the instantly recognizable riff of “I’m the Man Who Loves You,” the relentlessly catchy “Heavy Metal Drummer,” and the political “Ashes of American Flags.” The follow up, 2004’s A Ghost is Born, may have won the Grammy, but YHF remains the perfect introduction to Jeff Tweedy and Co.Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-70201024569885284922009-09-18T14:39:00.000-05:002009-09-18T14:40:00.389-05:00Matthew Mayfield Interview 9/18/09MATTHEW MAYFIELD INTERVIEW<br /> This summer, Birmingham singer/songwriter, Matthew Mayfield, released his second EP, Five Chances Remain Hers. Some may remember Mayfield as the frontman for Moses Mayfield, a Birmingham-based alternative rock band who was picked up by Columbia/Sony BMG in 2006. They toured the country for the next year, playing shows with Will Hoge, Switchfoot, The Fray, and Pete Yorn. However, corporate layoffs, including Moses’s Artist and Repertoire executive, left the band with an undetermined fate. Even with a promising debut LP, The Inside, Columbia dropped the band from its roster near the end of 2007. January 2008 saw the break-up of Moses Mayfield, and Matthew Mayfield took the emotions from this experience and wrote them into his first solo EP, The Fire. The album was well received by Birmingham music listeners and Mayfield began rebuilding his career, playing several shows at Birmingham’s Workplay Theatre, the Speakeasy, Barnes and Noble at Patton Creek, along with other local and regional venues. In April 2009, he went to Nashville and recorded Five Chances with producer Paul Moak. I had the chance to talk with Mayfield about the new release as well as his fall tour dates with Dylan Sneed, Needtobreathe, and Serena Ryder.<br />CKD: Describe the recording process of "Five Chances" compared to "Fire."<br /><br />MM: Well the first solo record was mostly just me and my guitar for the most part. I loved that. It was completely bare bones--which was the move I wanted to make at the time. On 'Five Chances' I had a band playing with me--but we kept the live vibe by tracking it all in the same room and picking the take that felt the best. There was no slaving over the 'perfect' sound. We just played things til they felt right. The sounds on this record are incredible. We wanted to keep the focus on the vocal--but have some other elements in the atmosphere for texture. I'm really happy with the way it turned out.<br /><br />CKD: What's the story behind the album’s name?<br />MM: It's a russian roulette reference. 'One's locked in the chamber...and five chances remain hers'<br /><br />CKD: Are the majority of the songs new material, or ones that you've been holding onto until the right moment?<br /><br />MM: All of the songs on 'Five Chances...' were written way before we started recording with the exception of 'Lives Entwined.'. That one showed up while we were mixing. I kept playing it in the other room and one day Paul was like 'what's THAT?'. We cut it and mixed it the next day top to bottom. <br /><br />CKD: What song means the most to you and why?<br /><br />MM: It's tough to pick just one. I'd say 'Open Road' is my favorite. It's the most dynamically sound of all the songs and there's an unmatched urgency in the performances all around. The strings are gorgeous, the drums are heavy, the bass lines are ridiculous--pretty much all the things I can't take any credit for are the jewels in my eyes. :) That song takes the most out of me. It's a really triumphant song--which is rare for in my catalog. Afterwards singing or playing or listening-- I feel like I just ran the race...and for once, I won.<br /><br />CKD: You explore themes of fighting and reconciliation in several of the songs, particularly tracks 3-5. Could you describe how you feel these concepts fit into love as well as relationships in general?<br /><br />MM: Yeah--I suppose there is a yearning to fight and to be fought for all over this record. It's been a rough few years in a lot of ways relationally. When it's clear you're doing the majority of the fighting--it's hard to not feel mistreated. It took a long time for me to realize--but that's no way to live. You can't lay yourself on the line time and time again without getting something back...you'll crack. I did. We all do.<br /><br />CKD: How has touring been? Do you still play mainly solo sets or do you have a band backing you up now?<br /><br />MM: It's been great. I feel like the sets are getting better and better with time. I play with a band when I can--but most of the dates are solo acoustic. I dig both. I love changing it up...keeps me on my toes. We've got a full band show coming up in front of the Fray up at Big Spring Jam in Huntsville on September 26th. It will be our first time to play these songs full band on a huge stage. Should be a blast.<br /><br />CKD: What goals do you have for this next year, year and a half?<br /><br />MM: I'm gonna just keep riding this wave as long as it will take me. I've got some great shows lined up with Needtobreathe and Serena Ryder as well as some other dates in the works. It's just a day at a time at this point. I'm just trying to make it from Tuesday to Thursday. One foot in front of the other.<br /><br />Matthew Mayfield will be playing at Workplay Theatre in Birmingham with Needtobreathe and Serena Ryder on October 3rd and 4th. His albums are available on Itunes, at Barnes and Noble in Patton Creek and the Summit, or you can pick one up at a show. Check out his Myspace at <a href="http://www.myspace.com/matthewmayfieldmusic">www.myspace.com/matthewmayfieldmusic</a>.Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-25532701266823379642009-04-22T19:52:00.000-05:002009-04-24T11:09:18.934-05:00Sunsets and the Economy of MercyI vividly remember the Pacific Ocean<br /><br />As the evening tide crushed the turf.<br /><br />The horizon expanded as we approached its depth.<br /><br />This represented the first defining moment of my trip.<br /><br />My friends and I made small talk as we walked along the shoreline<br /><br />Introspectively anticipating the coming beauty.<br /><br />Finally, the spectacle that is the California sunset<br /><br />Cascaded itself down the dark blue<br /><br />Transforming the sky into a plethora of color<br /><br />Red, orange, purple, fire.<br /><br />I sat down in the water, allowing the ocean<br /><br />To engulf my feet.<br /><br />As I languished in the middle of the sand and turf,<br /><br />I realized these were the only things<br /><br />Separating me from innumerable miles<br /><br />Of liquid eternity.<br /><br /><br /><br />Forty days later, I sit at my desk<br /><br />Trying to recall every minute detail<br /><br />So I can once again savor that natural majesty.<br /><br />Thank God for digital cameras<br /><br />And cameras in general.<br /><br />I couldn't even imagine living in the era<br /><br />Before each moment and image of our lives<br /><br />Could be successfully documented.<br /><br />A century and some odd years ago<br /><br />There'd been solitary travelers<br /><br />Who had transversed hundreds or thousands of miles<br /><br />To gaze upon such wonder.<br /><br />Their only methods of capturing and absorbing these things<br /><br />Had been their memory<br /><br />And the occasional journal entry.<br /><br />I guess I'm realizing how lucky we are.<br /><br /><br /><br />During the last month and ten days or so<br /><br />I've experienced more frustrations than I expected for this semester.<br /><br />However, even when the battle of a particular day seemed lost<br /><br />I clung to the image of the sunset<br /><br />A snapshot of brilliance<br /><br />A beacon of hope<br /><br />Something that fulfills the natural and innate desire to be satisfied<br /><br />By something much greater than our human experience.<br /><br /><br />In addition to reminiscing about my spring break trip<br /><br />I've also enlisted the help of some of my favorite albums<br /><br />From high school, the ones that characterized my days at JCIB.<br /><br />I echo Jon Foreman of Switchfoot as he cries:<br /><br />"I'm lost without You here."<br /><br />I cannot help but think about the irony of this lyric<br /><br />At least in my own life.<br /><br />You never left me.<br /><br />I was the one who ran away<br /><br />From Your hope and truth.<br /><br />A foolish man trying to discover purpose on his own.<br /><br />Instead of scolding me like a nagging parent<br /><br />You patiently pursued me and whispered to me<br /><br />How much You cherished me.<br /><br />When I began to approach the point of no return<br /><br />You shouted for me to come home.<br /><br />You knew there was something much better<br /><br />Than the path I'd chosen for the moment.<br /><br />Finally, in my desparation I turned back to look at You for one last time<br /><br />And discovered You were much closer than I'd imagined.<br /><br />In that moment, exuberant rejoicing announced victory<br /><br />Throughout the heavenly realms<br /><br />As joy surged through my heart once again.Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-27135581147680643602009-03-18T11:19:00.000-05:002009-03-18T12:36:17.765-05:00Los Angeles: Day 17:30 A.M. (Central Time)- The alarm clock deafens me momentarily. That's what I get for placing it so close to my pillow, but I fell asleep expecting a text so its location was inevitable. I hit the snooze, banking on the fact that the text was indeed worth waiting another 8 minutes and maybe this final 8 would allow to complete one, last sleep cycle.<div>7:38- My eardrum is paralyzed once again, but I jump out of bed anyway and move stiffly to the hall. Halfway, I pause and walk back to check the message. 'Sounds good to me,' it read. 'Talk to you later.' Well confirmation is a prize in itself; it allows me to continue to the shower with a smile on my face and spring in my step.</div><div>8:45- I'm ready to depart. I bid adieu to my mom and dog, grab my carry-on and suitcase, and head to the car with my dad. 45 minutes later, after a trip to Wally World for some last minute supplies, we arrive at Birmingham airport. Winding through the parking deck, we frantically (well maybe not so frantically) search for an open space. 5th level, row 2: success.</div><div>9:42- I'm checking my bags in. Eighty-three minutes until boarding, my stomach growls as my head swirls with excitement and my heart pounds with anticipation. We start looking for the Mickey D's located about 500 feet away from check-in. As we near its supposed location, we quickly discover that it no longer holds a spot in the terminal. Instead "Charley's" has replaced it. My stomach growls ferociously once again, so I settle for a steak hoagie and coffee; the former is most excellent, the latter, not so much.</div><div>11:02- My dad and I exchange farewells as I go through security. I walk into Terminal B, gate 2 and sit by the window. I watch planes take off until they call my row.</div><div>11:30- The plane departs and I'm in seat 11A, a window seat all by myself. I actually get the paradox of both window and aisle seat, a sign that this trip is starting off well. I organize a playlist of The Shins and Matt Costa on my Ipod and begin my borrowed copy of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Through Painted Deserts</span> by Donald Miller, which I highly recommend to each and every one of you, especially during travel.</div><div>2:06- I've made it to Houston and immediately head towards my gate in Terminal C. I pass by a statue of George Bush, but fail to take more than a cell phone snapshot; I'm pretty sure it will still be in tact when I make my return trip. </div><div>I have to ride one of those trams, where standing must be accompanied by gripping the suspended bar until your knuckles turn white to keep from tumbling all over the car. Most, like myself, remain quiet and stare straight ahead; a bit diagonally if staring straight would mean eye contact with the man or woman across from them. However, I overhear a few conversations in Spanish, though the speed of their dialogue prevents my mind from successfully translating. </div><div>2:15- I find my gate. Now I need something to eat that's not too heavy. I transverse the terminal shops, observing a variety of fast food and sit down restaurants, bookstores, and the occasional Fossil Watch shop. I settle to purchase a pineapple smoothie from Smoothie King, which is quite satisfying. I proceed to check out several bookstores. However, the 8 novels in my carry-on prevent me from making a purchase; maybe next time.</div><div>3:20- I board the 737 plane that will deliver me to my final destination, the famed LAX. This time I'm in 20D, part of a row of 3 seats. I still reclaim an aisle seat, Hoohah. Fifteen minutes later, I sacrifice my seat for family of three so the son can sit with his parents. Though I must now be in the middle seat of another row, the stewardess rewards at first with the promise of alcohol had I been 21, but then supplies with a pair of free headphones that I could use to watch the in-flight movie. When I discover that the film is the remake of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">The Earth Stood Still</span>, I opt to use the phones to listen to my Ipod while I finish Donald Miller, a wise decision on my part. For this trip, I choose Death Cab for Cutie, Fleet Foxes, Wild Sweet Orange, Johnny Cash, and the Triceratops to saturate my auditory canals. I thoroughly enjoy the journey with Miller, as he himself is taking a cross-country trip, meeting a plethora of unique people. Though I do not hold the advantage of road travel, I feel the trip that I am taking will serve as a chance for reconnection, rejuvenation, and hopefully, spiritual reconciliation. </div><div>5:41 P.M. (Pacific Time)- After spending 4 hours in the air, I am quite ready for a few days on solid ground. I walk into the juggernaut LAX and begin my ascent into the great unknown, with a quick trip to baggage claim. After contacting Josh, one of the two Bruner twins with whom I will be residing for the next 6 days, he advises me to find the FlyAway Bus stop and take the Westwood shuttle. I obey and fortunately discover the post a mere 47 feet from my terminal. Unfortunately, my wait for the shuttle is almost 60 minutes. When it finally arrives, the driver alerts me that no seats remain and I can either stand or wait for the next shuttle. After contemplating about my chances of seeing another FlyAway in the next 20 minutes, I decide that for both my time and health, standing wouldn't be so detrimental. </div><div>7:30- The bus ride through LA is fantastic. Though darkness keeps me from seeing a large portion of the city, the journey itself remains captivating. I've never seen this many palm trees in Florida. Near the end, I catch a glimpse of UCLA and its surrounding structures. </div><div>8:00- I arrive at Westwood and immediately contact Josh to pick me up. He gets to the stop in a matter of moments and takes me to his work, a local Italian delivery spot. Inside, his brother Will is typing on his Mac and eating a slice of pizza. We exchange greetings in the manner of old friends, with a hug and "Great to see you friend!" We pile into their Honda and Josh drives us back to their Brentwood apartment; he will return at 9:45. When he returns, we spend the rest of the night catching up and anticipating the week's events. A few of their friends stop by, Brian Algeo, a Penn State grad who works mainly in post-production, and Danny Zucker, a producer and director, who shows us an interesting short film. After several hours of conversation, I crash on the couch around 1 A.M. It's only the beginning but what a day.</div>Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670068532597257755.post-65227610228354240982009-02-24T17:07:00.000-06:002009-02-24T17:09:22.895-06:00LOCAL MUSIC SPOTLIGHT: MATTHEW MAYFIELD<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; line-height: 200%;" align="center"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>Few singer/songwriters can command a crowd for an hour or longer with just a voice, a microphone, and an acoustic guitar; <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Birmingham</st1:place></st1:City>’s own Matthew Mayfield represents this type of artist.<span style=""> </span>The passion behind his voice as well as powerful strumming and a variety of melodic open tunings gives an accessible sound to the modern listener.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">Though Mayfield is currently gaining airplay on the <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Birmingham</st1:place></st1:City> radio station, Live 100.5, with his single “Dead to You,” followers of the local scene understand that Mayfield is no overnight success, but a journey several years in the making.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>Mayfield began his musical journey at early age after picking up the guitar at 9.<span style=""> </span>“I used to listen to my dad through the thin walls of my house--he'd play old Beatles, Neil Young, and James Taylor. He showed me some chords and got me into a few lessons,” Mayfield says. About a year later, he gave his first public performance as a fifth grader at the Crestline Elementary School Talent Show in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Birmingham</st1:place></st1:City>.<span style=""> </span>“I played ‘Stairway to Heaven.’ I'm sure it was awful, but at the time, it felt like the greatest thing I'd ever done.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>He began composing songs at 12 when he realized that “everybody was trying to be the next great guitar player,” and to be different, he had to come up with his own style.<span style=""> </span>Early and current influences sprang up from all over the classic and alternative rock map, including Peter Gabriel, Oasis, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Death Cab for Cutie, and Kings of Leon. Though he admits the original compositions were rough, nevertheless they begin to come together and formulate his repertoire. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>Prior to his solo career, Mayfield fronted the Birmingham-based alternative rock out, Moses Mayfield, which included Mayfield as frontman, vocalist, and guitarist, guitarist Will Mason, bassist Hans Ford, keyboardist Matt Taylor, and drummer Will Drake.<span style=""> </span>After releasing an independent EP (2003’s <i style="">Unified</i>) as well as a full-length disc (2004’s <i style="">Enough to Let Go</i>), the band signed to Epic Records in 2005, and eventually found themselves under the umbrella of Columbia Records and Sony BMG.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">For the next two years, the band embarked on several nationwide tours, opening for and sharing the stage with such major bands and songwriters as Switchfoot, The Fray, Will Hoge, Pete Yorn, and Blue October.<span style=""> </span>In March 2007, Moses Mayfield released their <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Columbia</st1:place></st1:City> debut, <i style="">The Inside</i>, to generous response.<span style=""> </span>The album included songs such as “A Cycle,” “Fall Behind,” and “Control.” </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">Despite their initial success, the band was unable to avoid the storm that was brewing in the major label music industry.<span style=""> </span>“Moses was a great band. I'm still proud of the record we made and work we put in. We gave ourselves entirely to that music...and I think it paid off. We learned a lot of lessons, however, about the crumbling infrastructure of the major label model of doing things… as soon as a few folks got let go and a new CEO was in place at Sony, we were gone. It's just politics. It's unfortunate, but that's the way those guys work,” Mayfield says. However, he remains optimistic about the future of independent music. “The revolution is underway.<span style=""> </span>Artists are taking the business back for themselves...me included.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">In January 2008, Moses Mayfield disbanded and Mayfield began the “pretty natural” transition from frontman to solo artist. “I was so burnt out on constant touring and the ups and downs with the label. Everybody started to go their own way and honestly, the wheels just fell off. But my passion and hunger to write great songs were stronger than ever. So once I'd taken a little time off, I got right back to work and put the EP out on my own. Tracked, mixed, and mastered in 30 hours for under $1000. No need to spend too much time nitpicking everything. I just left the mistakes stay...feels more honest that way.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">The resulting disc was the 8-song <i style="">The Fire EP</i>, which includes the aforementioned “Dead to You,” “Razorblade,” “First In Line,” and “Element.”<span style=""> </span>Along with Mayfield on vocals, bass, and guitars, the record also reunites the songwriter with drummer Will Drake; Stewart Vann of the <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Birmingham</st1:place></st1:City> folk/indie band, The Triceratops, and Emily Hooten provide background vocals.<span style=""> </span>“It's a bit scattered, but I think the common thread is that sense of urgency in all the songs. I was drawing from all kinds of places for inspiration--and it was such a release to get it all out on record. That's a huge part of why I make music. There's no boundaries...you can go wherever you want to.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">In addition to recording, Mayfield has experienced a variety of success in the area of touring, playing major venues in the Southeast such as Workplay Theatre in <st1:city st="on">Birmingham</st1:City>, The Music Farm in <st1:city st="on">Charleston</st1:City>, The Pageant in <st1:city st="on">St. Louis</st1:City>, and Exit/In in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Nashville</st1:place></st1:City>.<span style=""> </span>When it comes to the crowd, Mayfield admits that he prefers one that contains fifty attentive listeners than a crowd of five hundred people preoccupied with other things.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">As far as the <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Birmingham</st1:place></st1:City> support is concerned, Mayfield believes that he has been well-received by his hometown. <span style=""> </span>“I'd like to think that I've carved out a little nitch for myself here at home. The crowds here are always really supportive and encouraging. There's a lot of great music happening here. The Triceratops, Kate Taylor, The White Oaks, Wild Sweet Orange, The Great Book of John...the list just goes on and on. I'm honored to be a part of that crowd.” </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>Mayfield started 2009 with a packed Workplay show on January 24<sup>th</sup> that included big name local acts like The Kate Taylor Band, The Triceratops, and The Great Book of John. He plans to continue playing around <st1:city st="on">Birmingham</st1:City> with shows at Speakeasy on March 7<sup>th</sup> with Kate Taylor and the White Oaks as well as an in-store performance at the Patton Creek Barnes and Noble in <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Hoover</st1:City></st1:place>. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">He also will be playing at Workplay on April 11<sup>th</sup> as part of the Blue Cut Robbery, which consists of Mayfield, Stewart Vann, and Will Drake. “[The Blue Cut Robbery] is just three guys who wanna have fun playing rocknroll. We aren't taking it too seriously, which I think makes us a better band. Once again, no rules. 5 minute guitar solo? Why not? 4 key changes in the same song? Yes, please.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">As far as recording is concerned, Mayfield will be heading to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Nashville</st1:place></st1:City> to start work on a new disc with producer Paul Moak.<span style=""> </span>He hopes to begin the process in late April.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">Finally, Mayfield offers this advice for any fledgling songwriters and bands. “I think trying to carve out your own sound is the challenge for all of us. Something fresh and something people will gravitate towards. As an artist, you wanna move people...make them feel things while the songs on and the windows are down. Songs can completely change the course of any given person's day. They can change the temperature in any given room. It's a powerful art form. I'm hooked. “</p> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">For more information on upcoming shows and to listen to tracks from <i style="">The Fire EP </i>and other demos, visit <a href="http://www.myspace.com/matthewmayfieldmusic">www.myspace.com/matthewmayfieldmusic</a></span>Chris K. Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872160793054866673noreply@blogger.com0